# SC Equality

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**SC Equality** is a [nonprofit organization](/source/Nonprofit_organization) advocating for [LGBTQ](/source/LGBT) rights in [South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina).[1]

## History

SC Equality was incorporated in 2002 in [Columbia, South Carolina](/source/Columbia,_South_Carolina), by Nekki Shutt as South Carolina Equality Coalition (SCEC).[2] By 2003, the group was made up of 19 organizations, including the [Alliance for Full Acceptance](/source/Alliance_for_Full_Acceptance) (AFFA). Its goal was to improve the conditions of [gay](/source/Gay) and [lesbian](/source/Lesbian) people in South Carolina through promoting tolerance, politically organizing gay people and allies and changing discriminatory laws.[3]

SCEC was the recipient of a 2003 Equality Fund grant from the [Human Rights Campaign](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign) to support its political [lobbying](/source/Lobbying) efforts.[4] SCEC led a major campaign against [South Carolina Amendment 1](/source/South_Carolina_Amendment_1), which was a [ballot measure](/source/Ballot_measure) part of the 2006 election. The amendment stated that a [marriage](/source/Marriage) between one man and one woman would be the only valid domestic union recognized in the state. In 2005, then-chair of SCEC [Linda Ketner](/source/Linda_Ketner) organized public testimony against the amendment at legislative subcommittee hearings.[5] The amendment passed the [South Carolina Senate](/source/South_Carolina_Senate) with a vote of 36–1, with Senator [Robert Ford](/source/Robert_Ford_(politician)) of [Charleston](/source/Charleston,_South_Carolina) the sole dissenting vote.[6] SCEC and its constituent members, including AFFA and South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, continued to campaign against the amendment through to the election, including canvassing at the [South Carolina State Fair](/source/South_Carolina_State_Fair), hosting "Fairness for All Families" fundraising house parties, and a statewide bus tour.[7][8] Groups lobbying in favor of the amendment included the [Palmetto Family Council](/source/Palmetto_Family_Council), led by [Henry McMaster](/source/Henry_McMaster) and Oran Smith.[9] The amendment ultimately passed with 78% of the vote.[10]

SCEC later rebranded as SC Equality and continued its advocacy work at the state level.[1] On June 26, 2013, SC Equality organized a march in Columbia in anticipation of the Supreme Court's decision in *[United States v. Windsor](/source/United_States_v._Windsor)*.[11]

## References

1. admin. ["Our Mission"](http://www.equalmeanseveryone.org/get-to-know-us/our-mission/). *SC Equality*. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. "FOR THE RECORD - INCORPORATIONS PART 2". *The State (Columbia, S.C.)*. 2002-08-05.

1. Knopf, Schuyler (2003-04-03). "Gay activists to discuss political role". *The Post and Courier*

1. ["South Carolina Equality Coalition gets first-time grant"](http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2006225405/2002-08-31/ed-1/seq-22/). *Q-notes*. 2002-08-31. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. Madden, Ed (2005-03-26). ["News notes: SC"](http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2006225405/2005-03-26/ed-1/seq-10/). *Q-notes*. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. Ketner, Linda & Miller, Donald (2005-04-23). ["S.C. Senate amends and approves amendment banning same-sex marriage"](http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2006225405/2005-04-23/ed-1/seq-15/). *Q-notes*. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. "Bus tour backs fairness for families". *The Post and Courier*. 2006-07-14.

1. Madden, Ed; McFadden, Kittredge; Redman-Gress, Warren (2005-10-22). ["News notes: SC"](http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2006225405/2005-10-22/ed-1/seq-10/). *Q-notes*. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. "McMaster leads group against same-sex marriage". *The Post and Courier*. 2006-05-31.

1. ["CNN.com - Elections 2006"](https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/SC/I/01/). *www.cnn.com*. Retrieved 2020-05-22.

1. Cohen, Susan (2013-06-25). ["S.C. Equality to host March for Equality in Columbia tomorrow"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200708165403/https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2013/06/25/sc-equality-to-host-march-for-equality-in-columbia-tomorrow). *Charleston City Paper*. Archived from [the original](https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2013/06/25/sc-equality-to-host-march-for-equality-in-columbia-tomorrow) on 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-07-08.

## External links

[SC Equality website](http://www.equalmeanseveryone.org/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SC Equality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SC_Equality) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SC_Equality?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.