LGBTQ+ advocacy poll reveals voter thoughts on gender affirming care bill

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - An LGBTQ+ advocacy group says thanks to a poll, they know most South Carolinians don’t want the government creating healthcare obstacle bills, even in the face of transgender care.

The Alliance For Full Acceptance advocates for LGBTQ+ causes at the State House. Executive Director Chase Glenn says they are watching House Bill H.4624 right now. The bill could stop gender affirming care for people 18 and under even though they have parental engagement. The bill also stop funding for some adult gender affirming care.

Glenn says this is a healthcare issue. When the group polled 625 people, 95% said healthcare information should be fully private and 71% said the government should not stop gender affirming care for youth if their parents are already involved. This poll was across the state, across age groups, and across political affiliation.

Click here to view the full poll and results.

“And so we commissioned this poll because we thought you know what we want to see the data, the lines up with our gut feeling about how South Carolinians feel about this issue. And we found out you know, we’re right on, you know, that this is not a priority for South Carolinians and the values of the average person in South Carolina does not align with what this bill is trying to do,” Glenn says.

House Bill H.4624 has made it through the house and is now going to the senate floor. The Alliance For Full Acceptance is sharing their data and hoping to see lawmakers next focus on other topics that Glenn says could benefit all South Carolinians.

“We’re able to say, with high confidence here that no matter where you are in the state of South Carolina, geographically speaking, we don’t have the for this bill that maybe some of the senators think there is,” Glen says.

With the state house discussing the bill, leaders with LGBTQ+ non-profit We Are Family say it’s important to continue offering their programs and resources. Cal Boyce, the volunteer coordinator and thrift shop associate says they are a youth led organization.

“I actually visited a school recently in March to actually talk about the bill H.4624. sort of let those youth now you know, break down what the bill is because first of all, the language in the bill is very heavy and difficult to understand, especially if you’re like a younger person with all the legalese that’s in there. So we broke it down and also just sort of like discussed, you know, what does this mean for me,” Boyce says.

We Are Family offers a mental health assistance program that can get people set up with six hours of free therapy and they are always welcome to reapply as needed.

“That’s a very necessary program right now,” Boyce says.

Boyce says the thrift shop also has a gender affirming gear program for youth with questions about how to find themselves and explore their identity.

“Youth can come in store and get an item granted, so binders, bras, for like augmentation of the chest. We have packers, we have tucking tape and also like other binding tape. So you can come in store and get that item granted, and we also ship out anywhere across the state so that you do have to live in South Carolina but we can ship as well. And we cover the cost of all of that,” Boyce says.

House Bill H.4624 is one of many similarly worded bills dealing with gender affirming care. Senate Bill S.274 is in the committee discussion phase and would ban gender affirming care for anyone under 21. It would also put struct reporting rules on schools about how to report student conversations to parents.

“The whole political climate at large is affecting a lot of these youth mental health, you know, thoughts of suicide and having to be hospitalized. You know, not having anyone to turn to. I mean, we can offer our therapy, but a lot of these kids don’t have ive parents. And so if I go back to that bill, with the force outing aspect in schools, I think that’s what most youth are afraid of,” Boyce says.

Right now, the organizations say they are each going to keep doing their work in the community and at the statehouse. Glenn says with so many bills proposed and so many questions, they are not giving up, especially after their most recent poll and results.

“What we wanted to do is say, you know, when it comes down to your health care, and how you interact with your health care provider, particularly when it comes to children and young people with the of their parents’, you know, across the board, we find out majority of Americans and also South Carolinians, think that you know, health care decisions really should be between an individual and their health care provider. And when it comes to minors, it’s individuals, these patients and their parents and their health care provider, and people don’t want the government intervening,” Glenn says.

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