It’s time to get your queer James Bond on!
South Carolina Equality, the Palmetto State’s oldest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, is hosting a black-tie recommended “Equality Royale” on the evening of Friday, October 9.
This night of “cards, cocktails, and community” is a fundraising event with a message: “Don’t Gamble Your Rights Away.”
LGBTQ+ rights are in a precarious position in South Carolina.
The state’s ban on same-sex marriage, while not enforced due to the US Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling in 2015, has never been repealed. If the Court returned decision-making to the states, that ban would likely be revived.
Twelve members of the SC House filed a resolution this spring (H.5501) asking the Court to overturn Obergefell.
The SC Arts Commission recently denied funding to two LGBTQ+ arts organizations that had previously received it.
The state is one of only two in the country with no hate crime laws (the other is Wyoming). Neither does it have any statewide non-discrimination laws explicitly including sexual orientation or gender identity when it comes to housing or employment. It has banned gender-affirming medical care for minors. In public schools, transgender students may not compete on sports teams or use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
The proceeds raised at Equality Royale will be used to support LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts in the state legislature, encourage coalition building with similarly minded organizations and provide community events and communications for LGBTQ+ South Carolinians and their allies.
According to James Agens, executive director of SC Equality, “South Carolinians shouldn’t have to wonder whether their rights will survive the next legislative session. Equality Royale is a night to celebrate this community, and it’s also how we make sure SC Equality has the resources to be at the State House every week, not just when there’s a crisis.”
So break out your tux or your finest evening gown and head to the casino. Equality Royale will be Friday, October 9, from 6:30 until 10:30 pm, at Vino Sabor, located at 1310 Lady Street in Columbia.
For more details go to https://www.scequality.org/.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
