Wednesday: SC Subcommittees to Hold Hearings on Anti-Transgender Bills and Curriculum Censorship Bill
On Wednesday, March 29 two South Carolina subcommittees will hear testimony on a slate of discriminatory legislation. at 9 AM ET, South Carolina Senate Committee on Medical Affairs will hold a hearing with public testimony on a slate of anti-transgender bills:
SC Senate Committee on Medical Affairs at 9:00am ET will consider S.627, a dangerous anti-transgender healthcare ban that will prohibit transgender youth from accessing best practice, age-appropriate medical care – care delivered after careful consultation with the young person’s parents and doctors. The bill also forces teachers to disclose confidential conversations they’ve had with students about their sexual orientation or gender identity to the student’s parents, even if that would put the student in danger at home. This subcommittee will also hear S.623, which prohibits people from changing the gender marker on their birth certificate, which can be critical for trans people to ensure that they have the correct identity documentation.
SC Senate Education Committee will continue its hearing focused on H.3728, a broad curriculum censorship bill that would interfere with students’ freedom to read and learn in South Carolina. The bill targets issues of racial injustice and LGBTQ+ identity – and broadly prohibits discussion of those topics.
Public testimony on S.627 and S.623 has been limited, despite hundreds of South Carolinians desiring to make their voices heard on the anti-transgender bills. For that reason, the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition and the ProTruthSC coalition are teaming up to host a People’s Testimony speakout on the steps of the SC Statehouse after the hearing, at 12:30pm ET. Supporters of transgender dignity and equality will share their prepared testimony, to be live-streamed on Instagram (@scunited_lgbtq and @ProTruthSC).
The “Truthfully United in Solidarity” Rally will include spaces for attendees to express themselves through letter writing, music, public testimonies, and sign making. There will also be a Healing Space available on the South Grounds. With a combined number of over 100 members from both coalitions signed up to testify tomorrow, our rally will create space for us to heal, fellowship, and make some noise!
See you there!, starting at 8:15am ET!