Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are pushing some South Carolinians to move. Here's what to know

A new nationwide survey found that 32% of LGBTQ+ people in the South are planning to relocate to more welcoming states. South Carolina residents were among those most likely to describe their state as anti-LGBTQ+, alongside Louisiana and Tennessee.

FULL STORY: Over a third of South’s LGBTQ+ may be planning to move. See where SC stands

Here are key takeaways:

• Best Therapies, a Chicago-based LGBTQ+ mental health network, surveyed 1,004 LGBTQ+ Americans ages 18 to 75. Nearly half of Southern respondents view their state as anti-LGBTQ+.
• Ashley Peele, executive director of AFFA Action, said more than 70 anti-LGBTQ+ provisos and laws were proposed in this legislative session. One passed — a “bathroom bill” restricting transgender bathroom access at public schools and universities — and 20 will advance next session.
• Helix Sparrow, 40, left Columbia for Minneapolis last year after the State Department stopped issuing passports that differed from a person’s sex at birth. She left behind her ex-wife and two children, saying she believed they would be safer without her as a potential target.
• Cristina Picozzi, executive director of the Harriet Hancock Center, said conversations about leaving the state have increased alongside legislative attacks. Picozzi pointed to Columbia’s repeal of its conversion therapy ban in 2025, which came after the city faced losing up to $4 million in state funding.
• South Carolina ranked 46th nationally for LGBTQ+ safety, according to SafeHome.org, receiving a failing grade based on targeted legislation and hate crime statistics.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.