Harriet Hancock, South Carolina LGBTQ+ Advocate, Dies at 89
The founder of South Carolina's first PFLAG chapter died at 89, after decades of advocacy for gay and lesbian rights in the state.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in LGBTQ+
Harriet Hancock, who founded a South Carolina chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in 1982, died at age 89. She became an early and leading activist for gay and lesbian rights in the state after her son Greg came out to her in 1981.
Why it matters
Her chapter, now known as PFLAG, is the oldest L.G.B.T.Q. rights organization in South Carolina, and her work helped build support networks for families of gay and lesbian people in the state.
Harriet Hancock founded her South Carolina PFLAG chapter in 1982 and died at age 89, after raising three children and entering college in her mid-40s. The extraction does not state the cause of death or funeral details.
The players
Harriet Hancock
A South Carolina activist who founded the state's first PFLAG chapter in 1982 and became a leading voice for gay and lesbian rights in the state.
PFLAG
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national organization of families and allies supporting LGBTQ+ people, whose South Carolina chapter Hancock founded.
The details
Hancock's son Greg told her in 1981 that he was gay, and she publicly supported him despite fears that he would face homophobic taunts or harm in their community. She recorded an oral history in 2007 recalling her activism, and her death was reported on November 5, 2026.
Timeline
1981: Greg Hancock came out to his mother, Harriet.
1982: Harriet Hancock founded a South Carolina PFLAG chapter.
2007: Harriet Hancock recorded an oral history recalling her activism.
November 5, 2026: Harriet Hancock's death was reported.
Culture Shift
Hancock's 1982 founding of a South Carolina chapter places her work within the national expansion of PFLAG, which grew from its 1972 origins into a network of family-based support for LGBTQ+ people across the country. Her activism reflects how such organizations spread state by state as acceptance of gay and lesbian families became a public issue.
South Carolina families who have a gay or lesbian relative can still turn to the PFLAG chapter Hancock founded, which remains the oldest L.G.B.T.Q. rights organization in the state. Her example shows how a parent's public support can shape a family's and a community's response to a child's coming out.
The takeaway
Hancock's decision to publicly support her son in 1981 helped launch an organization that still serves South Carolina families. Her story shows that parents can be a powerful source of support for LGBTQ+ children.
Further reading
For more on the history of gay and lesbian rights organizing, explore LGBTQ+ coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New York Times.
