South Carolina Sued Over LGBTQ Sex-Ed Ban

Sex education has often done a poor job when it comes to LGBTQ students. A new lawsuit hopes to change that, at least for the state of South Carolina.

NBC News reports that the National Center for Lesbian Rights along with Lambda Legal has filed a lawsuit against the state in an effort to overturn the Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1988. The law states that LGBTQ relationships cannot be discussed in sexual education classes unless it’s regarding sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, it states any teacher who mentions non-heterosexual relationships can be fired. The lawsuit alleges that the law is unconstitutional and violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

Molly Spearman, the State Superintendant of Education, was named as a defendant on the lawsuit and also believes the law is questionable. She asked South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to draft an opinion on the law’s constitutionality. Wilson believes that “a court would likely find” that the law does stand in violation of the equal protection clause.

Given that everyone sounds to be in agreement, this hopefully means that the law will be changed sooner rather than later. It makes no sense that LGBTQ students should be given less knowledge about their bodies and healthy relationship than their hetero peers. Should any parents have a problem with it, well, state law allows them to withhold their child from sex-ed.