Seven bright yellow billboards touting “God loves trans kids” and “God loves LGBTQ+ people” are the backbone of a new statewide awareness campaign unveiled today by the Charleston nonprofit Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA).
Two billboards are along Interstate 26 in Charleston. Others are on interstates approaching and in Columbia and Greenville.
“People who use religion to excuse their bigotry and hate hurt our children and damage our communities,” said AFFA Executive Director Chase Glenn in a statement today. “Everyone has the right to live free from discrimination and persecution, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The new billboard campaign, the organization’s first since 2019, brings attention to the “extraordinary amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation” currently being proposed in South Carolina and the politicians and advocacy groups using religion as a scapegoat for bigotry and political discrimination,” Glenn said.
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AFFA, which has been committed to creating a more inclusive state since it organized 25 years ago, said hurtful recent messages and actions of some religious organizations and people in the current political climate “have deeply wounded LGBTQ+ people. AFFA stands in solidarity with all those harmed by discriminatory actions and messages from religious organizations and individuals.”
Website augments billboards
The billboard campaign, augmented by the accompanying website God Loves Trans Kids and LGBTQ+ People website (GodLovesLGBTQ.com), reminds South Carolinians that God loves and accepts LGBTQ+ people. The website also offers advocacy resources to support the campaign.
Rabbi Greg Kanter of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston said he supported AFFA’s social justice mission through things like the billboard campaign.
“Our faith teaches us to build the world with deeds of loving kindness,” he said in a press release. “There we find God and each other. There is no room for hate.”
The Rev. Adam Shoemaker of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Charleston agreed.
“LGBTQ+ people are an integral part of the human family who are all loved and cherished by God,” he said. “We believe affirming legislation that fully supports marriage equality and LGBTQ+ families is what justice looks like, for justice is what love looks like in public.”
“Change is only possible if we commit to working towards a South Carolina where all people are valued and respected,” added Glenn. “By standing together and advocating for change, we can create a better future for all of us.”
Look for AFFA’s billboards at these locations:
- Two billboards on I-26 in Charleston
- I-26 westbound, 2 miles east of U.S. Highway 21
- I-26 eastbound, mile marker 122
- I-385 0.3 mi north of S.C. Highway 101
- I-126 in Columbia
- Gervais Street near the South Carolina Statehouse (on March 27).
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