We just found out that Senators Grooms and Campbell introduced a bill ( S 1306) specifically attacking the ability of transgender students in Berkeley County to use facilities that match their gender identity.  Today, the bill passed second reading and will get a third reading tomorrow. 

As you know, We Are Family joined our partners and community members at a school board meeting in Berkeley County last week to urge them to continue to provide support to transgender young people by, at the very least, working with families one-on-one to meet their needs.  They agreed to do so, and then, just days later, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice jointly released a document affirming that schools must protect the rights of transgender students. 

We should be doing more to support the rights of LGBT students in our state, not letting progress get rolled back.  Join We Are Family in speaking out against this harmful bill.

CALL SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE LEATHERMAN AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MCMASTER- Tell them that South Carolina believes in fairness and equal opportunity, especially in our schools. 
  • President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman, (803) 212-6640
  • Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster, (803) 734-2080  
"Hello.  I am calling in regards to S 1306, a bill introduced by Senator Grooms which would deny appropriate accommodations for transgender students in Berkeley County schools.  I believe we should protect the rights of all of our students.  This bill does not do that.  It would also put Berkeley County and SC schools at risk of losing federal funding.  Please, do not advance this harmful bill."

You can also email Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman  HERE and Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster  HERE. We will continue to be in touch as we find out more, but we need your help to let the sponsors know that we are better than this and that we believe we should stand up for all students in our state!
Here's a copy of We Are Family's statement to the press on this dangerous and insulting bill. 
Contact:
Melissa Moore
Executive Director
843-637-9379
[email protected] 
Advocates Denounce Attack on Rights and Safety Transgender Students
(Charleston, SC) - Statement by Melissa Moore, the Executive Director of We Are Family on the introduction of S 1306, which targets the right of transgender students in SC to use facilities that match their gender identity:  
 
"Just last month, Senator Lee Bright introduced a bill (S 1203) denying transgender South Carolinians the ability to utilize the bathroom that is best for them. After a backlash from his colleagues and people from across the state, he was unable to garner the support to move this harmful legislation forward. Now we are seeing yet another baseless attack on transgender people from Senator Larry Grooms and Paul Campbell. This time, lawmakers are going after young people by pushing a bill that specifically withholds fair and appropriate accommodations for transgender students in Berkeley County ( S 1306).

We should each be able to move freely through the public spaces of our state without barriers or discrimination - to be able to access public facilities without disrespect or discrimination, to use the bathrooms or locker rooms that are appropriate for each of us without harassment, and to have the same rights and access as anyone else.

Bills like this one have been introduced around the country based on claims that they are needed for public safety, but it is transgender people whose safety is at risk. People do not need to be protected from the transgender community. In fact, when Senator Bright introduced his bill, he admitted that there have been no problems reported. It is transgender people who are experiencing harassment and violence at much higher rates than the general population.

This new legislation specifically targets schools. This is likely as a result of a recent school board meeting in Berkeley County where officials committed to working on a one-on-one basis with families to meet the needs of transgender students. Just after this meeting, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice released a set of  joint recommendations asserting that schools need to respect the rights of transgender students by affirming their gender identities, and that not doing so is in breach of Title IX and could result in lost federal funding.

Policies like S 1306 are not only unenforcible, they feed into the climate that results in violence and disrespect of the transgender community. Introducing legislation like this is a waste of time when lawmakers could and should be advancing policies that help people in our state. We should be doing more to ensure that every student in our state has a safe place to go to school, a learning environment where they can thrive, and a safe home to return to night."
 
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Melissa Moore is available for interview upon request. 

We Are Family (WAF) is one of the oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, and one of few resources in the state dedicated to providing direct services and support for youth. We envision a South Carolina where every LGBTQ young person has what they need to not just survive, but to thrive.