South Carolina is an increasingly hostile place for queer people to live, especially trans youth and their parents. According to OutLeadership, the Palmetto State is one of the five worst states in the nation for LGBTQ+ people.
In the fall of 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of a youth identified as John Doe, a transgender teen and Berkeley County student, their family and a state LGBTQ+ rights organization, Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA). The lawsuit targeted a proviso in the South Carolina budget that, contrary to federal law (Title IX), requires all K–12 public school students to use bathrooms that correspond to their biological sex.
Doe was subsequently suspended from school for using what had been deemed as an “incorrect” restroom.
According to rights-defending organization Public Justice, things quickly went from bad to worse for Doe.
He suffered constant monitoring of restroom use by school staff, according to Public Justice, and bullying by at least one teacher who “yelled at John for trying to use the boys’ bathroom and prevented him from relieving himself.”
Facing an increasingly hostile state, especially when it comes to transgender issues, his parents decided to relocate to another, friendlier state. They are also dismissing their lawsuit.
In 2002, Republican Governor Henry McMaster signed the anti-trans “Save Women’s Sports Act.” In 2024, he signed the “Help Not Harm Act,” which banned gender-affirming medical care for minors and encouraged public school staff to inform parents if a student wanted pronouns used that did not correspond to their biological sex.
This year he signed the “S.C. Student Physical Privacy Act” (reported in Qnotes on June 18), which was overwhelmingly passed by the state’s Republican-dominated legislature.
The state continues to disregard federal law.
With the anti-queer fire being stoked by anti-trans politicians like U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), Anderson District 10 Representative Thomas Beach (R) and other members of the uber-conservative South Carolina Freedom Caucus, the Palmetto State continues to make raising a queer child and growing up as an LGBTQ+ young person more and more difficult.
According to reporting by Politico, there is a larger exodus of families with trans children from states that are passing anti-trans legislation, especially laws related to gender-affirming medical care.
South Carolina, according to translegislation.com, currently has 46 active anti-trans bills under consideration. It is one of those states.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
