Now that North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory lost his reelection campaign, the incoming Governor Roy Cooper has promised to get rid of the now infamous HB2, otherwise known as the “bathroom bill.” The lawmakers in the state are having a special meeting today to consider repealing it. This ridiculous law forces transgender people to use the bathrooms that correspond to their birth gender, not the gender they identify as now.
The Republican Lt. Governor, Dan Forest, had this to say about it:
“No economic, political or ideological pressure can convince [sic] me that what is wrong is right. It will always be wrong for men to have access to women’s showers and bathrooms. If HB2 is repealed, there will be nothing on the books to prevent another city or county to take us down this path again.”
Some of the representatives don’t want to repeal it, either. HB2 doesn’t just apply to bathrooms, as it also limits statewide protections for those in the LGBT community. Local governments are also prohibited from passing protections that go beyond what is in HB2.
Charlotte’s city government is also involved. There was a deal made that if Charlotte repealed their protections against discrimination, then the state legislature would repeal HB2.
The Charlotte City Council was supposed to repeal their non-discrimination laws, but they didn’t fully carry out that repeal. They left a measure saying that the city isn’t allowed to take contracts from subcontractors who discriminate in their hiring practices.
The ACLU had this to say about it:
#HB2 is an unprecedented attack on the #LGBT community & we call on #NCGA to repeal it in full today. #RepealHB2 #ncpol https://t.co/FckvvwD97J
— ACLU of North Carolina (@ACLU_NC) December 21, 2016
This ridiculous bill has cost North Carolina a lot of money and jobs. Many entertainers and companies have boycotted the state because of it. PayPal was going to build a new facility in the state, but they scrapped those plans because of this bill. He even went so far as to say that transgender people don’t exist.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot.
