I’M NEW TO SOUTH CAROLINA
Politics aside, South Carolina has several metropolitan hubs with bustling diverse communities including Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Greenville where LGBT people will find a welcoming place to call home. Cultural hubs like Clemson, Hilton Head, Aiken, Florence, Rock Hill, and West Columbia bring an eclectic cross-section where LGBT people can live comfortably through the support of outspoken community leaders and proximity to institutions of higher education.
Several publications across the state cover LGBT news and events.
QNotes
QNotes is the LGBT arts, entertainment and news publication based in Charlotte, N.C., with both a printed newspaper and and online presence. We are the largest and most trusted source of news, politics, opinion, entertainment, art, lifestyle, community events and more for LGBT North and South Carolinians and beyond.
FreeTimes
News and things to do in Columbia SC: Free Times covers news, concerts, movies, restaurants and events in Columbia, SC.
Charleston City Paper
Charleston’s best source of restaurant, music, and entertainment news.
OUT AT WORK
In South Carolina, there are no protections in state or public employment for sexual orientation or gender identity. As an LGBT person, you can be fired, not hired, not promoted or denied service at a business because of who you are or who you love.
Read more on employment discrimination here.
Although the government falls behind in these basic protections, South Carolina’s business community takes the lead and the majority of the state’s top 25 private employers have hiring practices that include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
In recent years, as with the nation, the business community has acknowledged that recognizing the LGBT community and providing equal treatment makes economic sense.
South Carolina is home to two LGBT Chambers of Commerce.
Safety and Youth
SC Equality works to oppose legislation that bans Gay-Straight Alliances in public schools and works to build fully enumerated bullying policies across the state.
On June 12, 2006, Governor Sanford signed into law House Bill 3573 creating the Safe School Climate Act. The intent of this law is to prevent school harassment, intimidation, or bullying; to instruct local school districts to adopt policies by January 1, 2007 prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying of students; and to provide that the State Board of Education shall develop model policies; and provide that the policy must be incorporated into the training programs for all public school districts in the State.
