Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Protests take on teen violence bill that ignores LGBTs
05.20.2009 3:00pm EDT
(Columbia, South Carolina) Dozens of gay rights advocates demonstrated at the South Carolina Capitol on Tuesday, protesting against a provision in a teen dating violence bill that specifically excludes same-sex coupled young people.
The provision was added by the state House last week and LGBT groups say it sends a dire message to gay teens.“The message this sends gay kids is, we’re not worthy, we don’t count – it makes them feel like second-class citizens, and isolated,” said Columbia, S.C. PFLAG founder Harriet Hancock to the Associated Press. “It gives our beautiful state another black eye.”
Some members of the House also criticized the exclusion. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D) said the intent of the bill was hijacked homophobia.
“South Carolina has reiterated the myths and misconceptions people have about sexual assault,” said Cobb-Hunter, adding that domestic violence has nothing to do with sex or orientation, but control and domination.
The measure requires school districts to create dating violence prevention policies for sixth- through 12th-graders and print the policies in school handbooks or Web sites by the summer of 2010.
Supporters of the provision excluding same-sex teen relationships say they want to preserve South Carolina’s “moral values.”
“Same-sex dating is not traditional,” said Rep. Greg Delleney (R), a sponsor of the amendment. “Those groups want to destroy traditional values,” he said.
The bill, with the contentious amendment, is now before the Senate.
Protestors urged senators to strike out the amendment and return the bill to the House. But, there is little chance of the Senate taking up the bill. The current session ends on Thursday.
South Carolina is heavily dependent on tourism. Boycott Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and other South Carolina locations. Don’t spend money in hate states.
According to some religious leaders that we all know and love (NOT). It is God’s retribution to destroy the areas that are immoral. Is this why SC keeps on getting hit by hurricanes every year? They really put their bigoted ideas out there for everybody to see. I am sure that if they could — they would make it illegal for two people of different races to marry. But then that brings up another point ……….. WHAT TWO RACES? I thought that we are all one race ….. THE HUMAN RACE! But obviously
they don’t count LGBT as human.
this is just sad to see, especially for teens since they are more likely to be affected by a message like this
this is just sad
For a state that has had one of the lowest education scores in the country; is it any wonder that they would show their stupidity.
and it just cements the fact never to go to SC EVER!
As I recall SC was the first state to secede from the union in order to preserve traditional values like slavery. When ‘traditional values’ involve slavery, racism, or homophobia we have an obligation to destroy that.
South Carolina is about as bigoted and ignorant as Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas: so what does one expect from these rednecks?
Same-sex dating is not traditional? For who?