Join the Stamp Out Hate SC Coalition and show your support
for a Hate Crime Law in South Carolina.
We are laying the groundwork in support of the passage of a hate crime bill in the 124th South Carolina General Assembly.
We need organizations, faith communities, businesses and individuals to sign on in support.
Contact your legislators to express your support for a Hate Crime Law in SC.
We, the undersigned, in unison, call for the passage of a Hate Crime Law in South Carolina, because we cannot rely solely on Federal law enforcement to prosecute and track hate crimes occurring in our state. Where Federal crimes have not been committed, Federal, State and Local authorities are powerless to prosecute hate crime.
It is long past time that our state enshrines in law what we already believe: that committing a criminal act motivated by hate for someone because of their real or perceived race, religion, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability is unacceptable. As a non-partisan coalition, we will not support a law that does not protect all targeted groups of people.
We call for this hate crime law to contain the following:
According to the FBI, hate crimes hit a 16 year high in 2019. The FBI estimates that less than half of hate crimes are reported to the police. The limited data available to the FBI from South Carolina also indicated an increase in hate crime, however, South Carolina is one of only three states without a hate crime law to appropriately respond.
As we have witnessed in our state and across the country, making progress in how we protect those targeted by hate is also attractive to businesses hoping to maintain preferred employer status and relocate to or expand in South Carolina.
We call on the 124th General Assembly of South Carolina to act against hate.
Our network of grassroots organizations, nonprofits, faith communities, and municipalities that support a Hate Crime Law in South Carolina.