Joe Cunningham on Civil Rights

Endorsed by South Carolina Equality for LGBTQ rights

SC Equality fights for full equality in South Carolina for all LGBTQ South Carolinians. The opportunities for advancing equality will only come once we have begun changing hearts and minds across the Palmetto state. SC Equality has made a difference on this long hard road for equal rights. We will not rest until the day comes where we can stand up and say without hesitation EQUAL MEANS EVERYONE in South Carolina.

Voted for Equality Act: protect LGBTQ from discrimination

The bill adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of groups that are federally protected from discrimination in employment, public accommodations, housing, and access to public education. It amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

South Carolina has no hate crime laws and offers no statewide protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Instead, LGBTQ residents rely on a patchwork of municipal laws, with the strongest protections found in cities like Columbia and Charleston.

Jim Clyburn could not attend the vote. He released a statement praising the bill's passage.