BOSTON –The 2023 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award® will be presented to five women
Senators from South Carolina – Katrina Shealy, Margie Bright Matthews, Mia McLeod, Sandy Senn, and
Penry Gustafson – who formed a bipartisan coalition to filibuster a near-total abortion ban in their
state.
“This year’s Profile in Courage Awards honor leaders who took stands of conscience and risked their
careers by putting the public interest ahead of their own political standing,” said Ambassador Caroline
Kennedy. “The women of the South Carolina Senate set an example for those seeking justice and
individual freedom at all levels of government.”
“The women of the South Carolina Senate exemplify courage and cooperation in politics today,” said
Jack Schlossberg. “Facing intense opposition and personal attacks, Senators Shealy, Matthews, McLeod,
Senn, and Gustafson worked together and across the aisle to oppose a total ban on abortion. Their
impact extends beyond the state, inspiring Americans everywhere to keep fighting to protect individual
rights.”
South Carolina Sister Senators
In an atmosphere of overwhelming polarization, the only women in the South Carolina Senate – three
Republican, one Independent, and one Democrat – formed an unlikely coalition to protect abortion
rights in their state. In April 2023, Senators Katrina Shealy (R), Margie Bright Matthews (D), Mia McLeod
(I), Sandy Senn (R), and Penry Gustafson (R) held a two-day filibuster to block a near-total abortion ban
in South Carolina. During the filibuster, each of the five lawmakers took turns describing the
complexities of pregnancy and the reproductive system, the dangers of lack of access to contraception,
and inadequate privacy laws. Senators Bright Matthews and McLeod even publicly shared their deeply
personal experiences with the subject on the Senate floor. Their filibuster halted the passage of the ban.
In the immediate aftermath of their filibuster, the Sister Senators were heckled and harassed by
anti-abortion activists. The three Republicans were also met with strong opposition from their own
party – including censures and promises of primary challenges in 2024. Weeks later, when the governor
called the South Carolina legislature into a special session to further curtail abortion rights, the Sister
Senators remained in alliance and stood strong in opposition to a measure banning most abortions at
the 6th week of pregnancy. Despite their efforts, that legislation was eventually passed into law.