Staff



Ryan Wilson, Executive Director

Ryan Wilson is a native of Baltimore, Maryland who relocated to South Carolina in 2001 to attend college at Clemson University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 2005. While at Clemson, Ryan was an active campus leader and served three semesters at Co-President of the Clemson Gay-Straight Alliance (CGSA).

In 2006, Ryan relocated to Columbia, SC to work as the Safe Zone Ally Coordinator at the University of South Carolina – working with LGBTQ youth and their allies. Ryan graduated from the Master of Education, Higher Education & Student Affairs program at USC in May 2008.

Ryan then returned to USC as full-time staff as Sexual Health Program Coordinator, overseeing Student Health Services peer health educators, coordinating Sexual Health presentations across campus and in University 101 classrooms for first year students. In that role, Ryan also supervised the Safe Zone Ally program and services for LGBTQ students.

For the past two years, Ryan has served as Training Coordinator for the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a statewide non-profit organization where he managed several grant funded projects and several staff working with schools, clinics, and community based organizations to improve their capacity to serve our state’s youth.

In his spare time, Ryan served five years on the board of the South Carolina Pride Movement (SC Pride), two years as president, and two years in the past-president advisory role. During his time at SC Pride the festival budget grew as a result of increased sponsorships and local grant funding while the attendance grew from 5,000 to over 8,000 people in just two year.

Most recently, Ryan served as president of the board of the Harriet Hancock LGBT Center located in Columbia. The Center recently launched is first website dedicated to resources and information for LGBT people in South Carolina and has doubled its operational budget in just one year – bringing in $64,000 in grant funding so far in 2012.

Ryan has volunteered in numerous other capacities including serving on several Pink Party steering committees, the HRC Carolina Gala planning committee, and has been a member of the SC Gay + Lesbian Business Guild since 2006. Ryan has also been involved as a volunteer and supporter of South Carolina Equality since the marriage equality fight of 2006 and is proud of the SC Equality license plate on his car.

When they are not working together for the cause of LGBT Equality, Ryan and his partner of 5 years, Shehan, enjoy traveling the country and exploring new places whenever they can get away. Ryan and Shehan’s family currently includes two cats and a new 70-gallon fish tank.   Ryan and Shehan were among the first same-sex couples to be married in Baltimore MD on January 1, 2013.

 

 

Our Policy on Discrimination

This policy states SC Equality's position on discrimination. This policy applies to all SC Equality employees, volunteers, members, clients, and contractors.

SC Equality does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.

This policy also applies to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, outside vendors, organization members and customers, service clients, use of contractors and consultants, and dealings with the general public.