Governor McMaster wants to distort the 1st Amendment to only apply to certain Christians.

Rather than EVERYONE.

BY JEFF AYERS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The fight against religious discrimination has come home for all of us.  Gov. Henry McMaster is leading the charge against loving same-sex couples in South Carolina. 

Let me explain.  Miracle Hill Ministries, a South Carolina “faith based” foster care and adoption agency, stipulates on its website that foster parents must “have a lifestyle that is free of sexual sin” ― listing examples such “pornographic materials, homosexuality, and extramarital relationships”. According to its mission, Miracle Hill’s policy is to place children only in Protestant, heterosexual homes that agree with their beliefs. 

This organization has already received more than $4.6 million in federal and state funding in the 2018 fiscal year, according to a South Carolina Department of Social Services spokeswoman, and has recruited about 15 percent of foster homes in the state. No other South Carolina foster care providers that accept the taxpayer money restrict services based on parents’ sexual orientation or religious beliefs, as far as the spokesperson was aware.

During a recent gubernatorial debate, McMaster doubled downed on his position by referring to the freedom of Christians in “the buckle of the Bible Belt” to practice their religion, despite the discriminatory effects it may have upon others, including (as named on the stage that night) Jews, Muslims, and the LGBTQ community. 

Do you want your tax dollars funding this type of discrimination?

Thanks to Gov. McMaster’s actions, Miracle Hill will continue to receive state funding.

Earlier this year, Miracle Hill Ministry said it was going to lose its license to place foster children, according to their CEO, because they based their screening process on religion. 

On March 13, 2018, McMaster issued an Executive Order designed to make sure religious agencies are exempt from non-discrimination policies, allowing faith-based agencies, like Miracle Hill, to retain their foster care licenses.  They maintain this policy despite the fact that there are numerous other faith-based organizations that do not discriminate by religion or sexual orientation.  

While there are loving homes and couples ready to open their doors and hearts to children who need them, by Miracle Hill’s own admission, there is a shortage of foster homes, and hundreds of children waiting for placement.   Why do they persist in making this problem worse?

In today’s Charleston Post and Courier, an opinion piece by Stephanie M. Alexander points out why McMaster is wrong on this issue. 

Read the article in today’s Post and Courier

There are two things you can do to help stop this discriminatory policy of Gov. McMaster.

First:

VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6 FOR JAMES SMITH FOR GOVERNOR

Send Gov. McMaster a clear and loud message that we will not accept this type of discrimination in South Carolina. 

Second:

DONATE TODAY TO SC EQUALITY to help us fight Gov. McMaster and Miracle Hill in court.  We need YOUR financial support to take on the Governor and his large legal team.

We have to protect the rights of vulnerable children in our state so that they can find loving families who wish nothing more than to give them loving homes. This has to stop today!

Can I count on you?  Vote on November 6 and donate today!