On Thursday, the South Carolina Senate approved a ban on transgender procedures and surgeries for minors.
The Help Not Harm bill (H4624) passed by a 27-8 vote which included all South Carolina Republicans and one Democrat who voted in favor of the ban.
If passed, the ban will make it so that healthcare professionals will not be allowed to perform gender surgeries, prescribe puberty blockers or provide hormone treatments for minors who identify as transgender.
Additionally, if a child presents as a gender that differs from their biological sex or uses a name that isn’t their legal name, school principals would be required to notify parents or guardians.
In response to the verdict, both those for and those against the bill took to X to comment.
Executive Director for the American Civil Liberties Union in South Carolina posted a video where he was on the brink of tears over the news since it “hit him hard.”
“Folks who want to hurt transgender kids and transgender people, they’d get their way,” he said, “I’m heartbroken.”
Our leader Jace is the first (and so far only) transgender Executive Director in the 100+ year history of the nationwide ACLU. The passage of the bill to ban healthcare for transgender kids is hitting him hard. Here's his message. pic.twitter.com/OUghdW4xVF
— ACLU of South Carolina (@ACLU_SC) May 2, 2024
One user tagged the South Carolina governorand wrote “for every beautiful transgender child in South Carolina who suffers despair, depression, or harms themselves — it’s on you and your complete lack of empathy and decency.”
On the other hand, the group called Palmetto Family wrote that they are “thankful to God that children in the Palmetto State will soon be protected” and one user said it was a “huge win for kids.”
Another wrote, “'Gender-affirming care' has never been evidence-based. It is purely activist driven and research shows that it is indeed causing harm. The legislature is following the evidence and protecting vulnerable children.”
The bill needs to go back to the House for review after the Senate amended some elements. If it passes there, it will go to Governor Henry McMaster’s (R - S.C.) desk to be signed into law.
