South Carolinians Testify Before the Senate Education Subcommittee to Support Trans Youth
Today the South Carolina Senate Education subcommittee held a hearing on S.531, the Senate version of an anti-transgender bill that would restrict trans students in middle and high school from participating in sports.
Dozens of South Carolinians testified in support of transgender youth and in opposition to S.531. So many folks came out to testify, in fact, that the meeting adjourned after 2 hours without a vote, a step forward in the momentum to #SupportTransYouthSC.
Thank you to everyone who came out to testify!
Here are some highlights:
Melissa Moore of WREN:
“First, I want to speak directly to any transgender youth who may be listening. Your existence is your resistance. Please stay alive. I helped develop HSL policy that's been in place for 5 years. Proponents of this bill told the AP there have been no complaints about transgender students playing on girls’ teams, but the intention was to prevent it from happening. Most of the arguments in support of this bill are based in fear and hypotheticals, from people who live out of state. It’s a bunch of paper tiger paranoia, so I urge you to please stop this nonsense and address the ever-growing, real problems facing South Carolinians. “
Ivy Hill of the Campaign for Southern Equality and Gender Benders:
“You don’t have to pass this bill today. There is a long history of leaders from both sides of the aisle coming together to reject anti-transgender bills. I’m asking you, please, to follow in those footsteps and reject this discrimination. I’m asking you to join me in sending a clear message to trans youth across our state: Your identity is valid. You are real, and brave, and good. There is nothing wrong with you. We see you. And we will carry out our duty to fight to make South Carolina a state where you have every opportunity that your non-trans peers have. To make school a place where you’re able to focus on your education. To stop bringing legislation that targets you and start bringing legislation that protects you. The first step for you in sending this message of love and hope to some of the most vulnerable young people in our state is voting NO on S.531.”
Dr. Elizabeth Mack:
"Gender is not binary. …"How would we enforce this bill? Require all children to undergo a detailed exam of their genitals?This is not part of the standard pre-participation sports physical. This is an invasion of privacy and developmentally devastating. This bill says to our trans youth, a population already struggling, 'We do not support you.' I have seen far too many suicide attempts and completions in my career, but even more so in the last year, and they are hearing the message of bills like this loud and clear."
Wynston Sanders of Campaign for Southern Equality and Gender Benders:
“Being able to play sports in school taught me about teamwork. It taught me about self discipline. It taught me about leadership. It taught me about winning, and losing, and moving forward together as a team no matter what the outcome was. The ability to engage in sports is not only good for young people’s physical health, but mental health as well. I know school athletics benefited me significantly, and they would benefit any student, including trans students.”
Deb Foreman of PFLAG Spartanburg and the Uplift Outreach Center:
“I speak today as the mom of a transgender person whom I love and have always wanted the best life for, which is at times an unattainable goal when you live in a state like South Carolina. My son played baseball, football and soccer which helped boost his self esteem, gave him a sense of belonging and helped shape him into the adult that he is today. … S.531 will surely exacerbate an already hostile environment for transgender students in South Carolina schools where 81% of transgender students hear negative remarks from other students, and are also bullied by school personnel. Approximately 15 % of those students are physically assaulted at school due to gender and gender expression. Sadly school administrators and staff are generally unsupportive to these students.”
Emily Mayer:
“I am a public school teacher in the great state of South Carolina, and an education policy scholar. I’m here, taking time away from my classroom and students, to ensure S531 does not pass. I need my students and all students in this state to know that discrimination of any kind will not stand in South Carolina and that their teachers will fight on their behalf. … When trans youth are not accepted by their families or community, they often turn to school to seek acceptance and support. S531 makes schools an unsafe place for trans youth. It isolates trans kids and tells them that they are not allowed to access the myriad benefits of athletics. It tells them that they don’t deserve the same chances to learn teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and self discipline as their peers. It tells them that they don’t belong.”