Along with a group that supports limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare, another part of the Charleston County School Board did speak at the Moms for Liberty event.
Keith Grybowski, head of the CCSD Board, did speak at a Moms for Liberty gathering in Mount Pleasant on January 18. He did not give specifics about what he intends to talk about with the group’s individuals.
“I’m willing to speak to any group whose members may include residents of any of Charleston County’s other eight school districts in addition to District 1, which is where I was elected to represent.” This isn’t any different from being asked to speak at other events, Grybowski said.
Members of the school board are not unfamiliar with these speaking activities. Ed Kelley, a part of the CCSD Board, spoke in March and reportedly threatened to use violent language against the transgender instructor. Afterwards, Kelley, who serves as the board’s representative for Mount Pleasant students and schools, received criticism for his remarks.
Moms for Liberty refers to itself as a group that promotes parental rights and opposes federal excess. Shortly after shifting emphasis to removing material from school libraries they deem inappropriate for children, especially those involving LGBTQ+ themes and gender, Charleston’s chapter actually formed in 2020 and opposed COVID-19 restrictions in schools.
A cluster with a history of supporting legislation that restricts gender-affirming child care has also been invited by the organization. Gays Against Groomers (GAG) South Carolina chapter confirmed it would address Moms for Liberty members on January 18. According to GAG South Carolina Chapter Leader Cameron Stanley, the group is made up entirely of LGBT individuals and is non-partisan.
“We are a non-partisan organization made up of only LGBT volunteers from across the political spectrum, all united in one mission focus. We do not accept the movement pushing their agenda onto children in the name of our community,” Stanley said in a written statement. People from all backgrounds are eager to learn more about the scientific and medical studies that support our claims that children are physically and psychologically harmed under the guise of “EQUALIA+.”
It’s crucial to remember that the term “grooming” nearly usually refers to an adult engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a child. The word is used by GAG to disparage transgender people, drag kings, and those who support teaching curricula that include female or gay discussions in the classroom.
According to GAG, there are pages in 23 states that advocate for banning gender-affirming child care and removing gay reading materials from classrooms. The national chapter claims to have helped pass legislation that forbids gender-affirming care, including surgeries, for people under the age of 18, including Georgia and Tennessee, according to its X account (previously Twitter).
According to Stanley, “your organization has also been in contact with state legislators on a number of payments, as they ask for our advice on language within the policy to ensure they remain “LGBT friendly” and are only in line with protecting both adolescents ‘ security and parental right.”
The Moms for Liberty meeting was held after the start of the state’s congressional session, but Stanley did not specifically mention any policy that the section intends to help. A hearing for a bill that would forbid gender-affirming health care, including puberty filters and clinics, for people under the age of 18 was held on January 9 in the House Subcommittee for Medical and Health Affairs. Physicians, families, and transgender people who opposed the act testified at the hearing.
Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a Columbia physician who is currently employed, spoke against Bill H. 4624 by citing her experience treating trans people. According to Greenhouse, restricting access to gender-affirming care could increase the higher prices of anxiety and depression that some transgender children report.
Compared to their peers, trans children have a higher rate of stress, depression, self-harm, and depression. This is something I’ve seen in my process. In fact, Greenhouse told the commission that he cannot think of a second transgender person who did not experience these issues. “This expenses will significantly worsen all of those problems.”
At the Jan. 18 Moms for Liberty meet, Stanley, Grybowski, and Alex Spry will give a speech. Ashley River Classical Academy is the planned contract school in Charleston. GAG’s presence at the January Moms for Liberty conference, according to Stanley, does not imply support for the parents ‘ goal or beliefs. Grybowski added that he does not represent the entire class table when speaking.
