4 Organizations Standing Strong for the LGBTQ+ Community in Upstate SC

We’re kicking off a new blog series featuring Upstate orgs that center the voices and needs of people who are too often left without a safety net. Our communities thrive when each person feels seen, safe, and supported!

by Amberly Mace

Since the inauguration of Donald Trump, there has been a weakening or removal of services and protections for LGBTQ+ communities throughout the US. Here are examples of the harm done:

• Transgender military personnel have been banned and removed, and those who were eligible to receive their retirement were denied it.  
• The 988 suicide and crisis prevention line that served LGBTQ+ youth has been terminated. 
• The previous extensions to Title IX that protected transgender students was stopped by an Executive Order. 
• Funding has been cut not only for schools that teach “certain topics related to race, sex, gender, or politics,” but also for LGBTQ+ academic research, gender-affirming care, and HIV research and prevention efforts.
• The Smithsonian’s exhibits on transgender athletes, ballroom drag and the evolution of LGBTQ+ identities have been targeted. The artist who painted the Black trans Statue of Liberty removed this piece of art because of these actions.
• The State Department released a revised 2024 Human Rights Report that left out references to LGBTQ+ people. It also removed mentions of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, as well as critiques on the treatment of LGBTQ+ communities by governments.
• Letters ordering the eradication of “gender ideology” content were sent to 46 states and Washington D.C.
• A rainbow crosswalk in Florida, painted in honor of the 49 victims of the Pulse shooting, was repainted by FDOT who claimed it didn’t “meet the color, shape or dimensions provided in the MUTCD or FDOT Standard Plans…” despite that FDOT approved this crosswalk back in 2017 when it was installed.
• CDC declared biological sex “unchangeable” and abandoned programs offering transgender health care, alleging they are “protecting children.”
• The press secretary announced that the administration is looking into why transgender people are turning to “domestic terrorism.” There is no basis for this, and transgender people are actually four times more likely to be victims of violent crimes. 
• Canada updated its U.S. travel advisory, warning those with ‘X’ gender markers may be denied entry.
• An FBI trainee was fired for displaying a pride flag on their desk.
• The Office of Population Affairs was eliminated. They administered Title X family planning networks, teen pregnancy prevention and LGBTQ+ health initiatives.

This incomplete list gives you a mere glimpse into what our LGBTQ+ family, friends and neighbors have been facing. Many of us have watched these things occur, and it has brought about a range of emotions: sadness, anger, helplessness, frustration and fear, to name a few. We have watched this vulnerable population being attacked, suppressed, and their rights diminished over the last 11 months.

Whether we belong to the LGBTQ+ community or know someone who does, we know how drastically this can affect the lives of those around us. It’s vital to be seen and recognized, know you are safe and loved, and be free to be who you are. It’s something we should want for everyone. 

Luckily, there are organizations in the Upstate devoted to making sure that, in times like these, people know they are loved, seen and supported. In an ongoing effort to advocate for ALL people, Indivisible Upstate SC is vetting and compiling a categorized list of support and advocacy orgs.

In this article, I profile four of the LGBTQ+ organizations.

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder is an initiative created by a group of people who have lovingly put together tools and resources to help others seek a brighter future, one full of support and hope. This was started as a memorial project for Jacob Williamson, an 18-year-old transgender man—described as a kind and generous person—who was tragically murdered here in South Carolina. 

This initiative hopes to keep spreading Jacob’s kindness by helping those in the LGBTQ+ community. They even go beyond this community, offering support to others like veterans or those struggling with mental health, and providing a list of banned books.  

I have had the honor of meeting and speaking with one of the people behind this, and their love is palpable. They have put a lot of energy and time into this creation, making it easy to navigate all from one place. I urge you to check out Jacob’s Ladder and see all that they offer.

PFLAG

PFLAG is a national organization started in NYC in 1973 and was established as a nationally recognized entity in 1980. This group (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) was created as a way to support, educate and advocate for those they loved in the LGBTQ+ community. The resources they have are numerous. Examples include: 

• coming-out resources broken down by situation and mental health needs, 
• a glossary of LGBTQ+ definitions, 
• ways for friends and family to support LGBTQ+people in their lives,
• how to be a better ally in the workplace and faith community, 
• ways to connect and find a community, and
• webinars.

The local chapter, PFLAG Greenville, began in 1992 by two moms who wanted to offer support to others in the LGBTQ+ community and to help educate those around them. They have monthly support group meet ups, peer-to-peer support, and familial support. Their resource list includes state and local pride centers and transgender support groups, HIV/AIDS and health services, political and ally organizations, and religious and spiritual congregations in South Carolina and the surrounding areas that are welcoming toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Queer Wellness Center

The Queer Wellness Center, a.k.a. 864Pride, is a clinical nonprofit focused on enhancing access and barriers to life saving and identity affirming services in the upstate. They have created a space where LGBTQ+ folks will feel welcome and have their basic needs met through a resource closet. Scholarships are available to help cover medical visits, prescriptions, therapy, temporary housing and medical procedures for those who need it.

There are two free programs worth mentioning: Bloom and Leap. Bloom offers LGBTQ+ competence training to school personnel and counselors, as well as adolescent mental health providers. It also gives free group, individual, and family therapy to LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Leap is geared towards the trans community and has created a space for peer support. 

The Queer Wellness Center also gives free training to nonprofits, schools, churches and companies who can’t afford it but seek to learn and grow.

Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is a nationwide suicide prevention and crisis nonprofit providing information and support accessible 24/7 by chat, text or phone call, all of which are confidential. They are working to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people by providing advocacy, education and crisis support. 

This nonprofit has a program called CARE that gives adults an overview of suicide among the LGBTQ+ as well as the stressors which contribute to it. On their website, you can find resources such as training for allies, teachers and educators, healthcare professionals, adults working in the foster care system, along with spiritual and faith leaders. The Trevor Project also has resources broken down by sexual orientation and guides helping with issues such as coming out or gender identity. For those who are allies, you can find ways to lift up this community, such as offering support to bisexuals and signalling allyship.

Click here to see our growing list of support and advocacy organizations active in our region. We invite you to learn about, connect with, and support them in their brave work. Change takes all of us — standing up, speaking out, and putting our time and resources where they matter most. More profiles coming!

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Amberly Mace has lived all over the country, armed with a deep love of people, a desire to see everyone thrive, and a determination to make the world around her a better place.