An LGBTQ pastor in Pennsylvania was reinstated 20 years after being defrocked, South Carolina's governor signed a law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, and the Supreme Court declined to hear a Maryland gender identity case.
LGBTQ Pastor Reinstated 20 Years After Being Defrocked
Beth Stroud was reinstated as a United Methodist Church pastor after being defrocked 20 years ago for a same-sex relationship, according to AP News. In a private meeting of UMC clergy from Eastern Pennsylvania, Stroud surpassed the two-thirds vote needed to be reinstated as a full member and pastor. Her reinstatement comes almost three weeks after the United Methodist Church overturned its anti-LGBTQ bans.
“I was completely disoriented,” she told the AP. “For what felt like several minutes I couldn’t tell where the front of the room was, where I was, where I needed to go. Everyone was clapping and then they started singing. The bishop asked me quietly if I wanted to say anything, and I said I couldn’t.”
Gov Signs Law Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
Governor Henry McMaster. Photo by South Carolina National Guard, via Wikimedia Commons.
According to AP News, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. The legislation prohibits healthcare providers from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing puberty blockers, or managing hormone treatments for individuals under 18. It also mandates that school administrators inform parents or guardians if a student wishes to use a name, nickname, or pronouns inconsistent with their assigned sex at birth.
“To all the young people in South Carolina and their parents who are reading this news and feeling fear for the future, please know: No law can change the fact that you are worthy of dignity, equality, joy, and respect,” said Cristina Picozzi, executive director of the Harriet Hancock Center, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit.
Supreme Court Declines Maryland Gender Identity Case
U.S. Supreme Court. Photo by © Túrelio, via Wikimedia Commons.
A case was brought by three parents of children attending school in Montgomery County, who are represented by the National Legal Foundation contesting a Maryland school district's policy of not informing parents if their children identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming, according to Reuters. They sought to appeal a lower count's ruling on the policy. The U.S. Supreme Court declined on May 20 to hear an appeal, stating that they did not have the necessary legal standing to challenge the policy.
The challenged policy was implemented by the Montgomery County Board of Education for the 2020-2021 school year and allowed schools to create gender support plans for students. Under the policy, school staff are instructed to assist transgender and gender-nonconforming students in creating a plan that includes their preferred pronouns, names, and bathrooms. Staff are prohibited to tell parents about these plans with a student's consent.
