SC Equality Board, with the support of its Litigation Task Force, has authorized SC Equality to bring a legal challenge to South Carolina’s “No Promo Homo” law which prohibits public school health teachers from discussing homosexuality or homosexual persons in South Carolina classrooms. This law forces teachers to provide inaccurate and incomplete information to students and serves to further stigmatize LGBTQ students and children with LGBTQ parents.

Some of you may know students, their parents and or teachers who may be interested in participating in this legal challenge as a plaintiff. Also, some public school health educators may also be interested in participating in a challenge. Therefore, we would appreciate it if you would share this email with all of your friends in order for us to find the right group of plaintiffs to challenge this discriminatory practice in our schools. Of course, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you should have any questions or need additional information.

We are asking anyone who may be interested in speaking with me confidentially to email me by clicking the button below.  All correspondence will be confidential.

FACT SHEET

Legal Challenge to South Carolina’s “No Promo Homo” Law

SC Equality is considering a legal challenge to South Carolina’s “No Promo Homo” Law which prohibits public school health teachers from discussing homosexuality or homosexual persons in the South Carolina’s classrooms.[1] This law forces teachers to provide inaccurate and incomplete information to students and serves to further stigmatize LGBTQ students and children of LGBTQ parents in our public schools.

Nationwide research demonstrates that students subjected to “No Promo Homo” laws like South Carolina’s face particularly hostile school environments. LGBTQ students in states with “No Promo Homo” laws are less likely to find peers that are accepting of LGBTQ people, more likely to hear homophobic remarks and slurs, and more likely to face harassment and assault at school based on their sexual orientation and/or gender expression.[2]

IF YOU ARE A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN SC EQUALITY’S LEGAL CHALLENGE OF OUR STATE’S “NO PROMO HOMO” LAW, PLEASE CONTACT JEFF AYERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SC EQUALITY, FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Mr. Jeff Ayers
Executive Director
SC Equality
Post Office Box 544
Columbia, SC 29202
phone: 803-256-6500
email: JeffAyers@scequality.org