South Carolina boards the Trans ban wagon
Reuters reported on May 17 that South Carolina has joined a number of other states in banning Trans people from sports, as Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill doing just that last week. Titled the "Save Women's Sports Act," the bill cleared the House in April, with Republicans persisting through about a thousand amendments from the Democratic minority — a stalling tactic.

The bill bars Trans girls and women from competing in women's academic sports at any level, including private school teams that compete against public schools. It was amended in the Senate to bar Trans boys and men as well, with the exception of sports in which no women's team exists at a given school.

Supporters walk the well-trodden road of saying such measures ensure a level playing field in women's sports. Opponents call the laws cruel and unnecessary, because they address a problem that doesn't exist, given how few Trans athletes are in school sports.

Ivy Hill, the community health program director of Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a statement, "Transgender youth are not a threat to faireness in sports, and this law now needlessly stigmatizes young people who are simply trying to navigate their adolescence, make friends, and build skills like teamwork and leadership, winning and losing."

Georgia: Conservatives target living Trans woman for crimes of dead shooter
NBC News reported on May 25 that a Georgia Trans woman's photo is being used to spread baseless theories about the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The theories began on the infamous online forum 4chan, spreading to Republican Facebook groups and even prominent conservatives.

The woman in question asked to go by Sam, to protect her privacy and safety. She told NBC News that the photo was taken from her personal Instagram, and that she's faced harassment and threats as a result. Although the Uvalde shooter was killed at the scene, proliferators of the rumor claim that Sam's photo depicts the shooter.

Although Republican Rep. Paul Gosar deleted his own brazen tweet about the subject, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was successfully sued for false claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, joined conservative personality Candace Owens in claiming the shooting suspect was Trans.

"This isn't the first time I was harassed, but it is the first time I've been accused of murder," Sam said. According to NBC, she said she was more annoyed than anything: "I'm more worried about the families of the victims of the attack."