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A lawmaker in South Carolina has filed a bill for the 2020 legislative session that targets doctors and other health care providers who provide life-saving care for transgender young people. The bill, H4716, would prohibit doctors from providing medically needed care to transgender children under the age of 18.
We oppose H4716 and ask you to join us.
Medical decisions are personal and should be between a child, their family, and a doctor. The American Academy of Pediatrics, and other major medical associations, recognize that supporting transgender youth is critical to their health and wellbeing.
Bills like H4716 are reckless and harmful – they are about dangerous efforts by politicians to override medical science and insist that they know better than youth, parents, and doctors.
What trans youth need is love and support. Join us in sending messages of support to trans youth across SC. Get engaged in this work by adding your name using this form.
Other Legislation and Work on LGBTQ Issues in SC
House Bill 4716 is one of two anti-transgender bills that have been filed in South Carolina in 2020. Another bill, S1087, targets transgender students for discrimination by excluding transgender student athletes from participating in public school sports. The bill would forbid trans youth from participating on teams aligned with their gender identity, restricting their participation based on their “biological sex,” which the bill defines as the sex listed on a person’s original birth certificate. Learn more about all of this legislation – and get resources and insight into the work to secure LGBTQ equality in South Carolina – here.
Get Engaged in the Work to Support Trans Youth in South Carolina
Right now, one of the most important things we can do is send a message of love and support to the trans youth who may hear news about this legislation. Please add your name below – and write a quick message of support and encouragement – and we’ll be sure to keep you posted with any updates on H4716 and word on how you can take action.
Advocates Supporting Trans Youth in South Carolina
Are you part of an organization in South Carolina committed to working against legislation like H4716? Let us know here.
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Do You Need Support?
We know that bills like this can cause distress for people. Here are some resources if you need assistance:
- If you are in need of immediate medical assistance or need law enforcement assistance, call 911.
- If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- If you are a LGBTQ youth who is thinking about hurting yourself or is in crisis, call The Trevor Project’s 24-Hour Suicide Prevention Hotline at 866-488-7386.
- If you are a transgender person in crisis or needing support, call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
Resources about H4716 and Supporting Trans Youth
Doctors Speak Out Against H4716
Legislation like this, according to Dr. Jennifer Abbott, “would essentially be going against what is thought in the medical community to be best practice.”
American Academy of Pediatrics
This guide lists trans-affirming health and legal service providers across the South, including in South Carolina.
Trans in the South Guide
This guide lists trans-affirming health and legal service providers across the South, including in South Carolina.
News Stories about South Carolina’s H4716
“South Carolina wants to ban lifesaving medical treatments for trans kids”
“Whatever the intent, Condon says the impact on trans people could be even more severe than that of bathroom bills.”
“Transgender S.C. children could be harmed with bill, advocates say”
“It’s politicians thinking they know better than doctors do about our health and that they should be able to legislate our access to care,” said Ivy Hill of the Campaign for Southern Equality and Gender Benders.
“South Carolina pol proposes bill that would ban trans children from medical treatments”
“[The bill] does seem to basically say you can’t be you,” said Colleen Condon of the Alliance for Full Acceptance.
