Transgender* Jutice
Transgender Justice & Inclusion Webinar
We are so glad to be able to help bring you this Transgender Justice & Inclusion webinar Tuesday, June 14th from 6:00 - 7:30pm on Zoom. Right now, trans people in our congregations and communities—particularly trans youth and their families—are in crisis in the wake of harmful bills from the State Legislature.
Our congregations have the potential to be a haven for those in need—but in order to be a safe place for trans people, work is needed. Despite 75% of UU congregations being Welcoming Congregations, only 28% percent of trans UUs feel that their congregation is completely inclusive of them, and 42% regularly experience trans-related marginalization in UU spaces. We can do better in our congregations!
Sign up and more info here: bit.ly/TransSCNC
for webinar on Tuesday, June 14th from 6:00 - 7:30pm on Zoom (with Bonus Q&A / Afterparty until 8:00pm!)
We look forward to seeing you there!
Protect Trans Youth in the SC Senate
As you may have heard, last week two bills attacking some of the most marginalized South Carolinians made it through crossover: H. 4608 ("Anti Trans Girls Sports") and H. 4776 ("Medical Discrimination Act"). Because they made it through the House and crossed over to the Senate, they face a much easier path to become law. Now we must ensure the Senate hears from all of us about protecting our most vulnerable children and youth. Here are three easy actions we all need to take now:
1) Send an email to your Senator (with prefilled text you can edit as desired) to say NO to H.4608 Anti-Trans Girls Sports bill (click here to send email and learn more). This bill originated in the House and made it through crossover last week.
2) This is a high priority because H.4608 may receive "special order." A "special order" means it would be in front of the entire senate very quickly. Please call or email the following senators and urge them to vote NO to the "special order" for H. 4608. Talking points are in the email form.
Luke Rankin- Horry (District 33) (R) -- (803) 212-6610
Sandy Senn - Charleston (District 41) (R) -- (803) 212-6116
Tom Davis - Beaufort (District 46) (R) -- (803) 212-6080
Scott Talley - Spartanburg & Greenville (District 12) (R) -- (803) 212-6048
Kent Williams - Marion (District 30) (D) -- (803) 212-6000
Thomas McElveen - Sumter (District 35) (D) -- (803) 212-6132
Karl Allen - Greenville (District 7) (D) -- (803) 212-6040 OR (864) 235-9049
Kevin Johnson - Manning (District 36) (D) -- (803) 212-6056
Margie Bright Matthews - Columbia (District 45) (D) -- (803) 212-6008
Nikki G. Setzler - Columbia (District 26) (D) -- (803) 796-1285 or (803) 212-6140
3) Send an email to your Senator (with prefilled text you can edit as desired) to say NO to H.4776 Medical Discrimination (click here to send email and learn more). This bill also originated in the House and made it through crossover last week.
A Chance to Stop Anti-trans bills
Let's celebrate the fact that we stopped the first draft of the Senate anti-trans sports ban and LGBTQIA healthcare discrimination bills! This is fantastic news. And, we aren't in the clear. Some Senators were simply waiting for the House companion bills to "crossover." Both House bills did make it through "crossover" (see below). We will need to rest up and be ready to contact our senators and bring our presence to the Senate so we can stop anti-trans sports and LGBTQIA medication discrimination bills in their tracks. But first, relax and enjoy spring! Together, we are moving South Carolina forward in love.
Historic Resistance
The House unfortunately passed H. 4608 (the trans kid sports ban bill). Now we must urge our State Senators to vote NO on their version of the anti-trans sports bill S.531. Can you please click here and rush a message to the SC Senate urging them to vote NO on S.531?
Even still, the monumental demonstration of resistance at the South Carolina Capital should live on in the record books. SCUUJA and allies, including SC United for Justice & Equality Coalition partners, brought the presence of love and justice to the state house, staging sit-ins, making phone calls, and occupying the viewing section of the House proceedings throughout three days leading up to crossover April 7. Due to work with Representatives, our allies in the House kept debate going on the anti-trans bill H.4608 for over 8 hours straight, offering over 1,000 amendments that would actually improve the status of girls' sports in SC.
In the end, the anti-trans majority in the House won out, and H.4608 has passed the house. These anti-trans representatives made it very clear that they were not interested in any amendments to improve women's sports or protect girl athletes. They only wanted to keep anti-trans parts of the bill and struck down any other changes that could help girls and women athletes.
We are incredibly grateful for the show of support and the steadfast commitment and leadership of our trans allies in the House. What they did, and the presence of allies at the State House, sends a message of love and solidarity to all our trans kin in South Carolina. This support is historic, and it demonstrates that the movement for justice is growing and already making a difference.
Now, let's take the energy to the Senate and ask our Senators to vote NO on their version of the anti-trans sports bill S.531. Updates on that coming soon. Can you please click here and rush a message to the SC Senate urging them to vote NO on S.531?
PHONE & TExt April 5:
STOP ANTI-Trans & ANti-TRUTH BILLS!
This has been a rollercoaster week at the capital as we speed toward the legislative "crossover" deadline next Thursday. The anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills are progressing, but we have made progress on the anti-truth bills! Check out the bill details below for updates.
There is reason to hope. We've made some progress, and showing up for justice is giving hope to the people who are hurt most by these bills.
So, let's keep pushing and show up for justice in South Carolina next week! We need massive support on April 5 to call and text SC constituents and encourage them to call their legislators to stop these bills! We'll also have a chance to call our own legislators.
We hope to see you there!
Sign up below for April 5 @ 12 PM ET (pick Tuesday option and say "April 5" in comments).
Learn more about these bills below:
Senate "Save Women's Sports Act" (S.531):
This Senate Education Committee voted to advance S.531, a bill that would prohibit transgender students in middle school, high school, and college from participating in school athletics. The bill now heads to the full Senate.
House "Save Women's Sports Act" (H.4608):
Similar "Save Women's Sports Act” to S.531 (listed above). Yesterday (3/31), the House Education Committee voted to approve H.4608 with a favorable report; it will likely be voted on in the House next week.
The "Medical Ethics and Diversity Act" (H.4776 and S.1130):
These bills would allow doctors to refuse care based on a doctor’s religious or moral beliefs, meaning that doctors could refuse to provide gender-affirming care to a transgender or nonbinary person, or potentially any care to anyone based on moral objection. Doctors also could be shielded from lawsuits for not providing the care they disagree with. Sadly, H.4776 passed the full House with an 81-26 vote and has crossed over to the Senate Medical Affairs Committee. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee already approved S.1130.
The "South Carolina Transparency and Integrity in Education Act" (H.5183)
We have good and bad news on this one! The house has created a wrap-up bill integrating prior education censorship bills into one bill. This new bill has amended a some problematic aspects of the prior bills. Our voices have had an impact here!
But make no mistake: H.5183 represents a profound act of censorship that limits schools ability to teach true history and to discuss and educate teachers, staff, and students on race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. This bill infringes on the advancement of knowledge and dangerously censors several ideas that are rooted in scientific thought, theory, and evidence. These legislators are way out of their lane, sometimes factually incorrect, and have no business legislating what educators can teach. This wrap-up bill also continues to create a climate of fear and punishment for educators trying to do their jobs.
For more background, check out SCUUJA's testimony on the prior set of bills here.
Support for Trans/Nonbinary UUS
Goodness, there is a lot going on in politics that can strain our hearts. For all UUs who identify as trans or non-binary, we want you to know there is UU support for you. UPLIFT Trans/Non-Binary Monthly Gathering Space is by and for the UU trans/nonbinary community and meets online/phone 4th Tuesdays @ 8pm-9:30pm ET. Meeting options for children, youth, and adults.
Join A Power Hour Phone Bank Now- April 7
We need your help making calls for the next couple of weeks to defeat a wave of discriminatory bills before the SC legislative crossover deadline on April 7.
These dangerous bills target LGBTQ+ youth for discrimination and exclusion, bills that would make it harder to access affirming healthcare in South Carolina, racist bills that censor curriculum in schools and include a "don't say gay" rule, and bills that restrict abortion access.
Can you join one+ of these gatherings and make calls together? Here are the options:
Tuesdays: 12-1pm ET until April 5
Wednesdays: 6-7pm ET until April 6
Thursdays: 12-1pm ET until April 7
Pick 1 or more, and join with others to have our voices heard! Sign up here!
Above: SCUUJA testimony to SC House Ed. K-12 Subcommittee on 3/10. See minute 38:30.
Stop Anti-Trans Legislation!
Thursday, March 10: SCUUJA joined SC United for Justice & Equality and allies for the first SC Grassroots Lobby Day to Protect LGBTQ Youth. SCUUJA Executive Director Pippin Whitaker provided testimony to the SC House Education K-12 Subcommittee on H.4608, which would ban transgender children and adults from sports. View the testimony here, beginning at minute 38:30. No action was taken on the House bill at that time.
Unfortunately, a parallel bill in the SC Senate (S.531) progressed out of subcommittee to the full committee on 3/15. SCUUJA calls on all to send letters to SC Senators urging them to vote no on S.531. Find out more and take action here.
Sadly, there are several more anti-trans bills in process in the SC Legislature this session, including criminalizing standard affirming care for transgender children (H.4047) and banning discussion of gender identity in all public education (H.4799). View our sign-on letter regarding H.4799 and related anti-truth bills here. Please stay tuned (see above) for opportunities to engage strategically on these bills.
FROM WASHINGTON POST: "Transgender rights have once again emerged as a political flash point in America.
While President Biden signed an executive order expanding protections for LGBTQ people, Republican lawmakers have sought to roll back the rights of the transgender community — especially the rights of children. Across the country, conservative legislators have introduced and passed a wave of bills that would ban medical treatments for transgender children and restrict transgender students from playing in sports according to their gender identity.
Many of these political debates are laden with misinformation and misunderstandings about what it means to be a transgender teenager today, advocates and medical experts say.
Informed by medical guidelines, and interviews with doctors and experts, The Washington Post compiled answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about transgender young people."