About OAT

In an era where queer and trans people are being attacked both through legislation and through physical violence and threats, it is important for us to protect each other and remain strong as a community. This site is run by Organize Against Transphobia (OAT) and is meant to provide resources to trans people in the south, such as medical providers, legislation news, and free affirming clothes. 

OAT was formed in late 2022 as a queer defense and community organization in the wake of anti-trans bills such as S243, S274, S276, and H3351. We are dedicated to fighting transphobic legislation and improving the quality of life for all queer people in South Carolina, but we will continue to fight long after these bills have been defeated. OAT's uniting goal is total victory over transphobia in the south and beyond, and we will continue to fight until this goal is achieved. We encourage all trans folxs, queer people, and allies interested in joining the fight to click our organizing discord linked at the bottom of this site.

Points of Unity 

1. Our liberation is collective and our movement is intersectional. In addition to primarily opposing transphobia and queerphobia, we are against racism, fascism, ableism, misogyny, xenophobia, antisemitism, and bigotry in any form. 

2. We do not condemn the tactics that individuals in this movement choose to use to oppose queerphobia and transphobia, as long as they don’t compromise any of our other values or points of unity. Legislative action and direct action are different tools in the same toolkit. A diversity of tactics is key to our liberation. 

3. We oppose sexual harassment and abuse. We will not work with organizations or individuals that have been credibly accused of systemic abuse. 

4. We are non-hierarchical. While organizations involved with OAT have representatives, these representatives serve more as points of communication than leadership 

5. As long as transphobia exists in this state, we will be organized together to fight it. We aren’t just here to fight specific legislation, we’re here to fight transphobia in all its forms in South Carolina. 

6. Regardless of our individual ideologies, we are united in our goal of trans and queer liberation.