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Executive Order Explainers and Resources from PFLAG National

North Carolina Laws Currently in Effect:

• The following laws have been in effect since August 2023:
  • HB 547 prohibits trans women and girls from participating on middle school, high school and college sports teams that align with their gender identity
  • HB 808 bans gender affirming care for minors including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery (however, a medical professional can continue to prescribe medications to a minor who initiated treatment before August 2023)
  • SB 49 “don’t say gay” bill requires public schools to out students if they ask to go by different name or pronouns; bans instruction on gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality from K to 4 th grade.

What to know about these laws:

• • PFLAG National was a plaintiff in Voe v Mansfield, a case which challenges HB 808. Other plaintiffs are the family of a transgender adolescent (anonymous), NC family physician Dr. Riley Smith, and GLMA (another national membership organization). This case completed briefing in Dec 2024 and the court’s final judgement is expected in Summer 2025.
  • NC families seeking gender affirming care for minors can work with organizations like the Campaign for Southern Equality. CSE is running a Trans Youth Emergency Project which provides information and grants for visiting out of state physicians.

NC bills to watch for 2024-25 session

• As of March 21, 2025, NC legislature has filed at least one bill that impacts our community.
• Caveat: at this point we do not know what is likely to gain traction. This information is only for awareness. If you hear any intel, please reach out to support@pflagcharlotte.org with information. When it’s time to take action we will update this with information for members to reach out to lawmakers, attend legislative committee meetings, etc. to show support for our community.
• HB171 eliminates DEI initiatives in state and local government, criminalizes the use of public funding for DEI initiatives. Update: As of April 1, 2025, North Carolina House Bill 171 (HB171), which focuses on prohibiting DEI programs in state and local government, has passed the House Judiciary Committee and is pending in the House State and Local Government Committee. 
• Senate Bill 516 requires bathrooms in public schools and other facilities to only be used by ‘one designated biological sex’ at a time.

South Carolina Laws Currently in Effect:

• H.4624 was signed into law in May 2024. This law:

• • Bans gender affirming healthcare for minors including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery
  • Prohibits public funds and Medicaid from being used to cover cost of gender affirming care for any age
  • Encourages schools to out students if they ask to go by a different name or pronouns

SC bills to watch for 2024-25 session

• As of Dec 5, 2024, SC legislature has filed several bills that impact our community.
• Caveat: at this point we do not know what is likely to gain traction. This information is only for awareness. If you hear any intel, please reach out to support@pflagcharlotte.org with information. When it’s time to take action we will update this with information for members to reach out to lawmakers, attend legislative committee meetings, etc. to show support for our community.
• H3011 Parental Rights in Education Act: includes provisions for forced outing by schools
• H3094 Child Welfare: introduces measures relating to child custody: “the purpose of this act is to clarify SC’s child welfare standards and parental rights by ensuring that encouraging a child to identify with their biological sex is recognized as a positive factor, not a negative one, in determining abuse, neglect, custody and foster care placement.” Introduces the term “Gender confusion” as “a self-reported or observed incongruence or uncertainty between a child’s biological sex and gender identity” and asserts that affirmation of a child’s biological sex is a positive factor when determining suitability of foster homes.
• H3095 Birth Certificates: ban on changes to gender marker on birth certificate
• H3118 Parental Bill of Rights: opt-out provisions for content including “instruction regarding sexuality includes curriculum that has the goal or purpose of studying, exploring, or informing students about gender roles or stereotypes, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or romantic or sexual relationship”
• H3121 Live and Let Live Act: allows discrimination against / refusal of services for same- sex couples and gender nonconforming individuals by adoption and foster care agencies, businesses, religious organizations
• H3185 Transparency and Integrity in Education Act: prohibits requiring school staff to engage in DEI training. Provides a method for complaints / curriculum or book bans.
• H3263 Student Physical Privacy: bathroom ban for public schools and public institutions of higher learning; provides measures to penalize schools that don’t comply. All facilities must be designed for use by members of one sex.
• H3381 Defense of Children’s Innocence Act: drag ban; any business where drag shows are held is deemed to be a “sexually oriented business.” No minor may attend or view drag show performances.
• H3506 Human Biological Sexes: ends legal recognition of anything other than sex assigned at birth

• While Federal and State policies get most of the attention in these conversations, it is important to acknowledge the role that local politics can play. The City of Charlotte updated their non-discrimination ordinance in 2021 to include familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy and natural hairstyle as protected classes. Many towns in the Charlotte area have similar ordinances or policies. While some of these are more of a sign of support for the community, Charlotte and other municipalities have also instituted ordinances with an actual process for filing claims and holding businesses and individuals accountable.

Several school boards in the area also have their own set of policies when it comes to LGBTQ issues, but in large part those have been overridden by the recent laws passed at the state level. But how the state law is enacted and administered can still mean a lot, so it is important to stay connected to your school board members and meetings.

Keep in mind that there are elections EVERY year. Many important things are on the ballot in the “off” years, and in these elections, your vote counts for so much more as overall turnout is usually much lower.

• Grass roots volunteering in the political process is vitally important. Finding and engaging with your local precinct can be extremely rewarding. Volunteers may help distribute signs, phone bank, greet voters at the polls, canvass door-to-door, and many other important tasks during election season. Each county will have an organization for either political party; reach out to the one you support in your county and find out how to get in contact with your precinct. In some cases, your precinct may not be organized yet and you may be just the person to do it! Many of the state representatives and senators that represent you now got their start in local, town level politics. So stay engaged in those races, you never know who you might meet and where they may end in the future!
• To get started, check out our resources page to find local organizations to reach out to.

Reach out to the ACLU Here

• Tell your lawmakers to protect Trans kids: Fill out your information and use the included talking points to call your representatives
• Watch Advocacy at All Levels from PFLAG National

• North Carolina General Assembly: Find your Legislators
• South Carolina Legislator Online: Find your Representatives

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