South Carolina Senate Candidate Went All in on Child Gender Transition Despite Being a Pediatrician

Annie Andrews, South Carolina’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has an extensive history of advocating child gender transition even though, as a pediatrician, she’s likely familiar with the negative consequences associated with so-called gender affirming medical interventions.

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Andrews, who will take on Republican Darline Graham in November, believes in addressing gender dysphoria in children by affirming the child’s so-called gender identity, and smears advocates of other approaches as bigoted.

“Periodic reminder that I support trans kids because I am not an asshole,” Andrews wrote, in a social media post from 2023.

While she does not support surgical intervention for minors, Andrews does believe in socially affirming the professed gender identity of young children before transitioning them into a medical protocol around puberty that could include hormone blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Andrews described her approach to gender dysphoric youth in a February 2025 podcast.

“It’s creating a self and welcoming, a safe and welcoming environment for these kids,” Andrews said. “And then as they reach puberty, gender affirming care, evidence based gender affirming care can include the prescription of, um, Hormone blockers so that they don’t go through puberty as the gender that they do not identify as and then cross sex hormones later.”

Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones carry severe long-term consequences, including loss of fertility, sexual dysfunction, decreased bone density, and chronic pain.

Nancy Mace, who defeated Andrews in the run for South Carolina’s 1st district in 2022, likened Andrews’s opinions on pediatric gender care to child abuse in social media posts during the campaign. At the time, Andrews worked for Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital as a pediatric hospitalist and professor of pediatrics. In light of these attacks, she stepped down from her position and took as unpaid leave of absence. Andrews never returned, choosing to resign because she felt the hospital was not giving her sufficient public support. The hospital “left [her] out on a limb,” Andrews told ProPublica.

“What disappointed me so deeply was their refusal to support these vulnerable youth in our community by making a statement that gender-affirming care is not child abuse,” Andrews continued.

The Andrews campaign did not respond to National Review’s request for comment by the time of publication.

In 2021, Andrews promoted the MUSC Kids’ Summer Advocacy lecture series, which showcases groups and speakers who advocate on behalf of gender interventions for children. In a social media post promoting the series, Andrews posted images of a slideshow produced by the organization which notes that “LGBTQ+ youth are 2-3x more likely to attempt suicide, more likely to be homeless, higher rates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use.”

Activists and health-care professionals often invoke the threat of self-harm or suicide to compel reluctant parents to pursue medical interventions for their gender dysphoric child. During the podcast interview in which she explained her support for the affirmation model, Andrews said that the primary reason she supports the protocol is because “it’s been shown to reduce the incidence and frequency of suicide and suicidal ideation in trans youth.”

One of the central studies those activists cite to defend their approach was recently found to have a major flaw.

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Andrews has also promoted the work of We Are Family, a South Carolina nonprofit that provides “life-affirming and life-saving programs for LGBTQ+ young people,” whose director, Cora Webb, participated in the MUSC lecture series.

Andrews highlighted We Are Family’s “Closet Case Thrift” store, saying she “love[s] this community resource.” The store, which is described as “kid friendly” on the organization’s website, provides “FREE safe sex items,” in the bathrooms, including “STPs and packers are prosthetics for trans and gender diverse people.”

The store’s website notes, “Chest binders are donated to us, therefore we might not carry the exact style, color, or size you want. If this is your first chest binder, let us know and we can measure you up for one that will be the perfect size for you.”

Andrews also highlighted We Are Family’s Gender Affirming Gear program, “that offers some gender-affirming products to transgender and gender non-conforming youth at no cost.” Products offered include chest binders, TransTape — a name brand skin-colored cloth tape used to compress a woman’s breasts — packers, tucking kits, and silicone bra inserts. Someone must be under 24 years old to take advantage of the gender gear program, according to the website.

In another post from 2021, Andrews wore various pro-LGBT buttons on her work lanyard, pointing out visual representations of support for transgender patients is not enough.

“[Y]ou must also back these signals up with evidence-based, inclusive care and active advocacy,” Andrews wrote.

As recently as 2024, Andrews wrote that she “got involved in trans healthcare when [she] got involved in people healthcare. Because trans people are people and trans kids are kids.”

South Carolina banned transgender procedures for minors back in 2024, when the state’s Republican governor, Henry McMaster, signed the Help Not Harm Bill into law. Andrews expressed disdain for the law, which also bans public money from funding gender-transition procedures.

This is not Andrews’s only criticism of South Carolina’s transgender youth policies. In 2022, she called the Save Women’s Sports Act “shameful.”

“This is shameful legislation that does nothing to protect or support women or children in SC. In fact, it is actively harmful,” Andrews wrote. “I will always support trans youth.”

Andrews won South Carolina’s Democratic primary in June and will now face off against the late-Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, in November’s general election. Graham currently serves at one of South Carolina’s two senators, after McMaster appointed her to the role back in July.

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