Fighting for 'every inch of progress,' North Charleston leader takes the helm of state LGBTQ+ group

NORTH CHARLESTON — When Ashley Peele considers the future of South Carolina, she imagines a place where all people belong and thrive. As the new executive director of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, she is taking steps to make that vision become a reality.

“I hope my children can be proud of this state at some point for the way that it's including everybody and valuing everybody,” said Peele, who lives in Park Circle with her wife and three young children. “We're not there yet.”

AFFA is an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization that works across the state to provide education, advocacy and community engagement. AFFA Action is the political advocacy arm that pushes for certain legislative priorities and promotes pro-LGBTQ+ candidates.

Peele is taking the helm of the 27-year-old organization during a time when threats to minimize the rights of LGBTQ+ people are increasing both at the state and federal level. On the first day of President Donald Trump’s current term, he signed a handful of executive orders targeting trans people, centered on access within healthcare, public school education and sports.

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