Why are SC lawmakers spending so much time targeting our state’s LGBTQ community?

On anti-LGBTQ bills

It pains me to see the South Carolina Legislature spend so much time pushing anti-LGBTQ bills.

I am the pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church in Columbia; many of our members are LGBTQ and I am the proud father of a lesbian daughter. I have much love for the LGBTQ community and I have received much love from it in return. That’s why I can’t silently stand by while so many people I care about are being attacked.

In recent weeks two bills targeting transgender youth have been filed: one bill would ban doctors from providing medically necessary care to transgender youth — the other would ban transgender youth from participating in school sports. These bills are particularly cruel because transgender youth experience depression and suicidal thoughts at high rates.

Our responsibility is to protect kids, not to target them.

Unlike more than 20 states, South Carolina has no state law prohibiting anti-LGBTQ discrimination — despite the fact that 58% of South Carolinians support protecting LGBTQ folks from being discriminated against. The truth is that most people in South Carolina want to live in a state where all people, including those who are LGBTQ , can thrive.

I do, too.

It’s time to speak up and make it clear that we South Carolinians are ready for equality.

Pastor Tim Bupp, Columbia

On the coronavirus

History has shown that viruses can cause devastation, and it could happen again with the current spread of the coronavirus. However, our so-called leaders around the world don’t seem to be coming together to manage this crisis and find a solution to protect people.

The reality is that the coronavirus doesn’t care what color you are. It doesn’t care if you are a communist or a capitalist. It doesn’t care if you are a liberal or a conservative. It doesn’t care if you are pro-gun or anti-gun. And it doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. So if we don’t get this under control, what’s to keep it from eradicating segments of our society?

Facts will be the greatest tool against the virus. Now more than ever we need leaders we can trust to give us those facts, and to take quick action to limit the destruction.

James Muldrow, Columbia

On Bloomberg

I’m glad that former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has dropped out of the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination: anyone who could spend $500 million of his personal fortune on ads is clearly someone who doesn’t respect money.

When you consider the fact that there are some 330 million people in America, the reality is that Bloomberg could have just given each American $1 million, allowed people all around the nation to happily live the American Dream and still kept $170 million in his pockets. Instead Bloomberg went on a fool’s errand to buy what he couldn’t: the political support of the American people.

It was a bad move by Bloomberg.

Which brings me to another bad move made by Bloomberg now that he’s dropped out: endorsing Joe “The Gaffe Master” Biden.

Has Bloomberg forgotten how Biden, as vice president, colluded with former President Barack Obama to give billions of dollars back to Iran — a country that has funded terrorist organizations and supported the killing of Americans?

Has Bloomberg forgotten how Biden effectively committed the act of blackmail when he threatened to make sure Ukraine wouldn’t receive financial support unless it fired a prosecutor investigating the activities of a company linked to Biden’s son?

How Bloomberg can condone these actions by Biden is beyond me; if the average American citizen pulled this kind of garbage, they would be in jail.

Gregory Topliff, Warrenville

On Mike Pence

So Vice President Mike Pence — a former a second-rate Indiana governor who believes that smoking doesn’t cause cancer and that the Earth is 6,000 years old — is going to lead our nation’s effort to fight against the coronavirus?

If you were writing a comic book, you couldn’t make up stuff like this.

God help us all. And give me a face mask!

Jim Richardson, Columbia

This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 11:55 AM.