NCAA Caves to North Carolina After False Repeal of HB2, ‘Reluctantly’ Agrees to Consider Bids from State

From: Towleroad

The NCAA Board of Governors “reluctantly voted to allow consideration of championship bids in North Carolina” following the sham repeal of HB2 last week, which removed the law but effectively left discrimination against LGBT people in place.

The NCAA’s full statement:

In August of 2016, the NCAA Board of Governors instructed the relocation of NCAA championships scheduled in North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year because of the cumulative impact HB2 had on local communities’ ability to ensure a safe, healthy, discrimination-free atmosphere for all those watching and participating in our events.

Last week, the elected officials of North Carolina enacted compromise legislation that repealed HB2 and replaced it with a new law, HB142, that addressed a number of the concerns that led to the relocation of the NCAA championships. As with most compromises, this new law is far from perfect.

The NCAA did not lobby for any specific change in the law. The Board of Governors, however, was hopeful that the state would fully repeal HB2 in order to allow the host communities to ensure a safe, healthy, discrimination-free atmosphere for the championship sites. While the new law meets the minimal NCAA requirements, the board remains concerned that some may perceive North Carolina’s moratorium against affording opportunities for communities to extend basic civil rights as a signal that discriminatory behavior is permitted and acceptable, which is inconsistent with the NCAA Bylaws.

However, we recognize the quality championships hosted by the people of North Carolina in years before HB2. And this new law restores the state to that legal landscape: a landscape similar to other jurisdictions presently hosting NCAA championships.

We are actively determining site selections, and this new law has minimally achieved a situation where we believe NCAA championships may be conducted in a nondiscriminatory environment. If we find that our expectations of a discrimination-free environment are not met, we will not hesitate to take necessary action at any time.

We have been assured by the state that this new law allows the NCAA to enact its inclusive policies by contract with communities, universities, arenas, hotels, and other service providers that are doing business with us, our students, other participants, and fans. Further, outside of bathroom facilities, the new law allows our campuses to maintain their own policies against discrimination, including protecting LGBTQ rights, and allows cities’ existing nondiscrimination ordinances, including LBGTQ protections, to remain effective.

In the end, a majority on the NCAA Board of Governors reluctantly voted to allow consideration of championship bids in North Carolina by our committees that are presently meeting. The NCAA championships previously awarded to North Carolina for 2017-18 will remain in the state. The board, however, directs that any site awarded a championship event in North Carolina or elsewhere be required to submit additional documentation demonstrating how student-athletes and fans will be protected from discrimination.

A Critical Guide To The Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill Nonsense

In the first of a series, Jen Richards looks at the "compromise" on HB2
From: NewNowNext

 Let’s acknowledge that it’s absurd that I have to write this. By any objective measure I have an unusually capable mind, yet I am spending a remarkable amount of my time and talents defending my right to pee behind a closed door.

That is absurd.

Nonetheless, here I am. Not because I want to be. Not because I see this issue as one that justifies sustained critical analysis, or because I think this will be a rich contribution to our ongoing cultural conversation. And certainly not because there aren’t much more pressing concerns in the trans community, such as the unrelenting epidemic of murders of trans women of color. No, I’m here because this issue simply won’t die. Or rather, Republican legislators refuse to let it die. No matter how many bathroom bills fail to pass, no matter how dire financial consequences of the rare ones that do, they won’t let up. They’re the movie character violently pounding on the chest of a drowned victim in hopes that it will suddenly gasp back to life. And if not, well at least they made a dramatic showing of their effort, reality be damned.

In this series, I’ll go into more details about the origin of these bills, explore their justifications, and walk through the arguments against them. I don’t have much hope of changing the minds of anyone who is determined to legislate trans people out of existence, but I do hope to provide those in the fight with a few more tools, and perhaps sway those who in the innocence of their ignorance haven’t yet made up their minds.

But first I have to be clear and honest: This hurts.

I call North Carolina home. I never actually lived in the state, but my family has been there for more than 20 years, so between holidays and other trips I spent a month or two out of each year in the Tar Heel State. I love North Carolina, genuinely.

Which is exactly why HB2 hurt.

States have been trying to pass similar bathroom bills since at least 2014, but HB2 was the first to successfully pass one. To me it was a bit of political theater, a show for the faithful. The bill was not a response to any issue, no one had any idea how it would be enforced, and there would be dire financial consequences. Passing it would be like a dog catching a car. Nonetheless, I was paying close attention because it was NC. My brother, who I don’t believe had ever participated in a political act in his life, showed up at the state house to watch the proceedings. My mood darkened as he texted me updates. The proceedings were a sham, full of misconceptions and outright lies and bigotry, and it was becoming clear they had the votes.

I had been using women’s bathrooms, in private and public facilities, for years, and not once had anyone ever given me a second glance. But with the stroke of a pen, an act that I had repeated countless times without ever causing anyone any harm became a criminal one.

Of course, I didn’t stop using the women’s room. Generally people don’t know I’m trans, and even more importantly, people generally ignore other people in public restrooms. The very men who vote for bills like this are more likely to hit on me than thwart my entrance into a women’s room. So the bill didn’t have any material effect on me. Who it does target is a point to which I will return.

No, the hurt was personal because as has been said again and again, bathroom bills aren’t really about bathrooms. There’s not even really much pretense otherwise. State bathroom bills and the national conversation about them has been about whether or not trans people can be a part of civic society. Not privacy, not common sense. It’s a proxy battle for who is considered fully human.

I associate North Carolina with my family, with snowy Christmases, with hiking in Asheville, seafood and sunsets in Ocean Isle, rest and rejuvenation. But this place I love decided I did not belong. North Carolina wasn’t for my kind. That was written into law. And it hurt.

It’s been one year and despite the disastrous economic fallout, a complete repeal of HB2 failed again. Yesterday a “compromise” bill, HB142, was passed by the House and Senate and signed by the new governor, Roy Cooper. Not a single LGBT group has endorsed it.

“Compromise.” If anything gets to the heart of my hurt, it’s that word. How can I compromise my humanity, my basic dignity?

More importantly, how can you?

Next time, I’ll explore the nefarious origins of the current wave of bathroom bills.

Roy Cooper Signs North Carolina’s Shameful HB2 Repeal Into Law

"This is the best deal we could get," the governor said
From: NewNowNext

 North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed an HB2 repeal bill on Thursday afternoon, despite the deal being slammed by LGBT and civil rights groups.

The Democrat signed the bill quickly after it was approved by the House earlier in the day in order to beat the deadline from the NCAA, which threatened to pull all future events from North Carolina until 2022 unless HB2 was repealed.

Civil rights groups are now accusing the governor of selling out in order to keep basketball in the state, while putting LGBT people at risk in the process.

The repeal allows provisions of HB2 to remain in effect through 2020, which means cities are still prohibited from passing non-discrimination ordinances on private employment or public accommodations for at least another three years.

LGBT groups are also arguing that the new deal still does not ensure trans citizens access to public bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Cooper won the election last year largely due to his desire to repeal HB2, but he is now saying that “this is the best deal we could get.”

“I believe with all my heart that this is the right thing to do,” the governor said after signing the bill. “It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation.”

The ACLU of North Carolina released a statement that calls the repeal a “disgraceful backroom deal” that uses LGBT rights “as a bargaining chip.”

“What we witnessed was a last minute idea thrown together with little thought of protecting transgender residents,” said GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis. “Any human being, regardless of who they are, should always come before a basketball game – but apparently the North Carolina state government still doesn’t understand that concept.”

NC Governor Roy Cooper Signs Sham HB2 Repeal Deal into Law

From: Towleroad

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed an HB2 repeal bill that was blasted by LGBTQ and civil rights groups into law after it was rushed through the legislature in one day ahead of a looming deadline from the NCAA which threatened to pull its sports events from the state until 2022 if something wasn’t done about it.

The News & Observer reports:

The Democratic governor negotiated the compromise with the Republican leaders of the legislature, House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger.

“It was a very measured approach,” Moore told reporters. “I think this bill, as written, is also something that is very defensible in court. I think it’s something the public supports. No one is 100 percent happy, but I would say I’m 95 percent happy.”

Opposition and support did not fall along party lines in either the House or the Senate, as advocacy groups on the left and right criticized the measure. Some of the most liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans voted against it.

The Senate voted 32-16 in support. In the House, the bill passed 70-48

The shameful bill’s provisions include an extension for the state to continue discriminating against LGBTQ people until 2020.

The ACLU and Lambda Legal slammed the deal:

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina released the following statement on HB142, a new legislative proposal to address House Bill 2, North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law.

“Lawmakers must reject this disgraceful backroom deal that uses the rights of LGBT people as a bargaining chip,” said Sarah Gillooly, Policy Director for the ACLU of North Carolina. “One year after HB2 was introduced and signed into law in just 12 hours, it is shameful that legislative leaders and North Carolina’s governor are once again rushing through a discriminatory anti-LGBT measure without proper vetting or an opportunity for public input. The way to undo HB2’s profound damage to North Carolina and its people has always been a full, clean repeal, but this proposal would keep anti-LGBT provisions of the law in place and continue to single out and target transgender people. Lawmakers must vote against this proposal, and should it reach his desk, Governor Cooper should withdraw his support and veto it.”

The ACLU and Lambda Legal are challenging HB2 in federal court on behalf of four LGBT North Carolinians and members of the ACLU of North Carolina. The law bans many transgender people from restrooms and other public facilities matching their gender and prohibits local municipalities from extending nondiscrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

On May 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will consider a request to block the anti-transgender provisions of the law barring transgender individuals from using restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender from being enforced. In August 2016, a lower court blocked the University of North Carolina from enforcing those provisions against three transgender plaintiffs in the case.

As did the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina:

HRC and Equality North Carolina urged North Carolina lawmakers to reject a backroom “deal” that would both continue the harms of the discriminatory HB2 law and push the possibility of full repeal further out of reach. The most recent proposal would specifically prohibit cities from passing protections ensuring that transgender people are able to access facilities in accordance with their gender identity, and it would further prohibit municipalities from passing other LGBTQ non-discrimination protections through 2020.

This means that North Carolina would continue to be the only state in the nation to have shamefully funneled anti-transgender animus into a law regulating restroom access. The proposal would also prevent cities in North Carolina from establishing non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people for at least three years, undermining efforts by cities like Charlotte to attract top talent, major businesses, and other economic opportunities.

For more than a year, Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore have blocked an up-or-down vote on clean repeal of HB2, despite the overwhelming outcry from voters, businesses, and others seeking to do business in the state.

“The rumored HB2 ‘deal’ does nothing more than double-down on discrimination and would ensure North Carolina remains the worst state in the nation for LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The consequences of this hateful law will only continue without full repeal of HB2. Sellouts cave under pressure. Leaders fight for what’s right.”

“This proposal is a train wreck that would double down on anti-LGBTQ discrimination. North Carolinians want a clean repeal of HB2, and we urge our allies not to sell us out,” said Chris Sgro, Equality NC Executive Director. “Those who stand for equality and with LGBTQ people are standing strong against these antics. We’ve got less than 24 hours before the NCAA deadline. There is no time to waste – our leaders must fight for what’s right, and that is full repeal.”

The backroom proposal is being pushed as lawmakers face a deadline tomorrow to repeal HB2 or risk losing out on bids for NCAA championship games through 2022 — a decision that will further compound the economic harm HB2 continues to inflict on the state. Just this week, the Associated Press published exclusive analysis showing the deeply discriminatory HB2 will cost the state more than $3.76 BILLION in lost business over a dozen years — and even that likely underestimates the damage.

The NCAA has not yet indicated what it thinks of the deal.

Noth Carolina ‘compromise’ on HB2 enshrines LGBT discrimination

It’s not a repeal, it’s a sellout. The NCAA must not be fooled.

From: OutSports

The ACC held its football championship in Charlotte in 2015, but pulled the 2016 game because of HB2.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

North Carolina’s Democratic governor and Republican legislative leaders have reached what they call a compromise on the anti-LGBT HB2 and lawmakers voted Thursday to approve it. It’s a sham of a repeal and will lock in discrimination against LGBT people through 2020. 

The bill does repeal HB2, which had a lot of nasty stuff in it, but at the same time a new bill prohibits “state agencies, boards, offices, departments and branches of government from regulation of access to multiple occupancy restrooms, showers or changing facilities, except in accordance with an act of the General Assembly. The bill also prohibits local governments from enacting or amending ordinances regulating private employment practices or public accommodations until Dec. 1, 2020.”

In plain English, no local body could allow transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. They would have to follow state law, which is not specific. This will cause more stress to trans people. Local governments are also not allowed to pass LGBT rights laws, in a state that has no protections for LGBT people. This is discrimination pure and simple and makes LGBT people second-class citizens.

As the Charlotte Observer wrote in an editorial: “House Bill 142 literally does not do one thing to protect the LGBT community and locks in HB2’s most basic and offensive provision. It repeals HB2 in name only and will not satisfy any business or organization that is truly intolerant of an anti-gay environment and of a state that codifies discrimination.”

It’s telling that the prohibitions extend until December 2020, after the next two national elections and the next governor’s race. The compromise is designed to appease the NCAA, which is deciding where to hold championships through 2022. If this new bill, HB142, passes, the NCAA should laugh and say “nice try.”

This bill is awful and it’s a shame Gov. Roy Cooper signed off on it. “I support the House Bill 2 repeal compromise that will be introduced tomorrow,” Cooper said in a statement. “It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation.” I see nothing positive about this bill and am not sure why Cooper supports it.

North Carolina has suffered an economic loss of from the fallout over HB2, but no business or tourist should be fooled by HB142. Want a sign it’s a bill bad for LGBT people? Pat McCrory, the governor who signed HB2, is for the new bill.

I urge #NCGA & @NC_Governor to finally stick with this deal that still respects privacy and let Supreme Court resolve issue for our nation.

— Pat McCrory (@PatMcCroryNC) March 30, 2017

One major company, Levi Strauss, is already against the “compromise”:

We stand w/ @HRC & @EqualityNC in urging North Carolina lawmakers to reject a backroom “deal” on anti-#LGBTQ #HB2. #RepealHB2 #ncpol

— Levi Strauss & Co. (@LeviStraussCo) March 30, 2017

One Twitter user had the proper response:

Woohoo. Fake HB2 repeal so we won't lose NCAA championships for six years. Such a win. So much winning. Is that still a phrase we use?

— Molly Huggins (@mohugs) March 30, 2017

Let’s hope this new bill dies. If it doesn’t, the NCAA will have no choice but to take its championship business elsewhere.

After I wrote this, I received this email from Gabriel Rosenberg, a professor of gender, sexuality and feminist studies at Duke.

“Many activists working on the ground in North Carolina for HB2’s repeal see the compromise as a disgrace. Governor Cooper and the state Republican Party are horse-trading with the basic human rights of their constituents. All people have a right to access basic public accommodations. And all people also have a right to fair employment conditions and a right to petition local governments to safeguard those rights. The compromise requires that LGBTQ people lose access to fair employment conditions and that right of petition so that they can gain some access to basic public accommodations. Republican Party leaders describe this compromise as a “give and take.” And it is.

“The compromise takes basic rights from LGBTQ citizens and gives them access to accommodations that never should have been denied in the first place. So it’s a give and take just like when a bully steals your wallet but lets you keep bus fare home.”

“What’s clear is that the compromise is not about the safety, well-being, or basic human dignity of LGBTQ people; it’s about money. Governor Cooper gives the game away when he says that the compromise is “not perfect” but “begins to repair [North Carolina’s] reputation.” What this means is that the compromise is not satisfactory to LGBTQ people, but it may satisfy the multinational corporations boycotting the state because of HB2. This, in turn, reveals one of the dangers of using boycotts to safeguard basic human rights. The pivotal question becomes about optics and marketing—can the state “sell” this solution?—and not about the substantive and fair treatment of the state’s citizens. Marginalized people already face daunting challenges in obtaining basic protections. Making those protections dependent on the beneficence of multinational corporations only alienates marginalized communities further from the political process.”

LGBTQ Rights Groups Slam Discriminatory Late Night Deal to Repeal HB2 Ahead of NCAA Deadline

From: Towleroad

Lawmakers and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper reached a deal to repeal HB2 ahead of a looming deadline from the NCAA that the organization would pull its sports events from the state until 2022 if the law wasn’t repealed by Thursday. The deal was immediately slammed by a broad range of LGBTQ groups as well as Levi Strauss & Co. for doubling down on discrimination.

Its provisions include an extension for the state to continue discriminating against LGBTQ people until 2020.

Lawmakers voted on the repeal deal yesterday. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore held a press conference at 10:30 Wednesday night to announce the deal:

WRAL reports:

House Bill 142, which initially dealt with occupational licensing boards, will be gutted, and the new language inserted before the bill is heard Thursday morning in the Senate Rules Committee.

The bill states that “state agencies, boards, offices, departments, branches of government … and political subdivisions of the state, including local boards of education are preempted from regulation of access to multiple occupancy restrooms, showers, or changing facilities, except in accordance with an act of the General Assembly.”

The proposal also prohibits local governments from enacting or amending ordinances regulating private employment practices or public accommodations until Dec. 1, 2020, which Berger and Moore said would give time for federal lawsuits over transgender rights to be resolved.

After the bill passes Senate Rules, it must pass two votes on the Senate floor during a session scheduled for 11 a.m. and then return to the House for a final vote before being sent to Cooper.

Here's a copy of the bill that @NC_Governor, @NCHouseSpeaker, and I agreed to this evening. https://t.co/Y2sZsJsDbX#NCGA #NCPOL #HB2 pic.twitter.com/grAbtUpCoT

— Senator Phil Berger (@SenatorBerger) March 30, 2017

The ACLU and Lambda Legal slammed the deal:

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina released the following statement on HB142, a new legislative proposal to address House Bill 2, North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law.

“Lawmakers must reject this disgraceful backroom deal that uses the rights of LGBT people as a bargaining chip,” said Sarah Gillooly, Policy Director for the ACLU of North Carolina. “One year after HB2 was introduced and signed into law in just 12 hours, it is shameful that legislative leaders and North Carolina’s governor are once again rushing through a discriminatory anti-LGBT measure without proper vetting or an opportunity for public input. The way to undo HB2’s profound damage to North Carolina and its people has always been a full, clean repeal, but this proposal would keep anti-LGBT provisions of the law in place and continue to single out and target transgender people. Lawmakers must vote against this proposal, and should it reach his desk, Governor Cooper should withdraw his support and veto it.”

The ACLU and Lambda Legal are challenging HB2 in federal court on behalf of four LGBT North Carolinians and members of the ACLU of North Carolina. The law bans many transgender people from restrooms and other public facilities matching their gender and prohibits local municipalities from extending nondiscrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

On May 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will consider a request to block the anti-transgender provisions of the law barring transgender individuals from using restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender from being enforced. In August 2016, a lower court blocked the University of North Carolina from enforcing those provisions against three transgender plaintiffs in the case.

As did the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina:

HRC and Equality North Carolina urged North Carolina lawmakers to reject a backroom “deal” that would both continue the harms of the discriminatory HB2 law and push the possibility of full repeal further out of reach. The most recent proposal would specifically prohibit cities from passing protections ensuring that transgender people are able to access facilities in accordance with their gender identity, and it would further prohibit municipalities from passing other LGBTQ non-discrimination protections through 2020.

This means that North Carolina would continue to be the only state in the nation to have shamefully funneled anti-transgender animus into a law regulating restroom access. The proposal would also prevent cities in North Carolina from establishing non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people for at least three years, undermining efforts by cities like Charlotte to attract top talent, major businesses, and other economic opportunities.

For more than a year, Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore have blocked an up-or-down vote on clean repeal of HB2, despite the overwhelming outcry from voters, businesses, and others seeking to do business in the state.

“The rumored HB2 ‘deal’ does nothing more than double-down on discrimination and would ensure North Carolina remains the worst state in the nation for LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The consequences of this hateful law will only continue without full repeal of HB2. Sellouts cave under pressure. Leaders fight for what’s right.”

“This proposal is a train wreck that would double down on anti-LGBTQ discrimination. North Carolinians want a clean repeal of HB2, and we urge our allies not to sell us out,” said Chris Sgro, Equality NC Executive Director. “Those who stand for equality and with LGBTQ people are standing strong against these antics. We’ve got less than 24 hours before the NCAA deadline. There is no time to waste – our leaders must fight for what’s right, and that is full repeal.”

The backroom proposal is being pushed as lawmakers face a deadline tomorrow to repeal HB2 or risk losing out on bids for NCAA championship games through 2022 — a decision that will further compound the economic harm HB2 continues to inflict on the state. Just this week, the Associated Press published exclusive analysis showing the deeply discriminatory HB2 will cost the state more than $3.76 BILLION in lost business over a dozen years — and even that likely underestimates the damage.

Some additional reactions:

Sort of amazing that Gov Cooper negotiated an even worse and more harmful deal than the one he rejected in December. #sayno2HB2pt0 pic.twitter.com/UPFCJKAtyO

— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) March 30, 2017

Situating trans people as a threat to safety and privacy is the essence of this so-called repeal. #hb2.0 pic.twitter.com/no7ptQ6w2f

— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) March 30, 2017

Brockman is one of two LGBT legislators. This was how he reacted when #HB2 deal was presented to Democrats earlier tonight. #ncpol https://t.co/euVit5do2W

— Colin Campbell (@RaleighReporter) March 30, 2017

We stand w/ @HRC & @EqualityNC in urging North Carolina lawmakers to reject a backroom “deal” on anti-#LGBTQ #HB2. #RepealHB2 #ncpol

— Levi Strauss & Co. (@LeviStraussCo) March 30, 2017

We call for a full repeal of #HB2 & for laws that protect the dignity & humanity of transgender people. So called "repeal" does neither.

— Southern Equality (@CSElive) March 30, 2017

#HB2 "deal" is a state-wide prohibition on equality that bans all cities & towns from passing nondiscrimination protections.

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) March 30, 2017

Bad HB2 Repeal Deal Approved by NC General Assembly; Heads to Roy Cooper for Signature

From: Towleroad

The North Carolina House approved a sham HB2 repeal bill blasted by LGBTQ and civil rights groups by a vote of 70-48, sending it to Governor Roy Cooper for his signature.

The Senate passed the bill earlier ahead of a looming deadline from the NCAA, which threatened to pull all sports events from the state until 2022 unless it was repealed.

The shameful bill’s provisions include an extension for the state to continue discriminating against LGBTQ people until 2020.

The NCAA Just Gave North Carolina a 48-Hour Deadline to ‘Resolve’ HB2 or They’re Out Until 2022

From: Towleroad

After repeated warnings, including one last week, the NCAA has reportedly given North Carolina 48 hours to “resolve” the anti-LGBT HB2 law or it will pull all its sports events from now through 2022.

WNCN reports:

Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, said in a statement that he has been informed by NCAA officials that they have set a 48-hour deadline for the state to change HB2.

I have confirmed with a contact very close to the NCAA that its deadline for HB2 is 48 hours from now. If HB2 has not been resolved by that time, the NCAA will have no choice but to move forward without the North Carolina bids. The NCAA has already delayed the bid review process once and has waited as long as it possibly can, and now it must finalize all championship site selections through spring of 2022.”

The economic impact to the state would be at least $250 million. The legislature has no current plans to move on HB2 any time soon.

A recent AP analysis of the economic impact of HB2 on the state estimated it at $3.76 billion.

Watch a report from WNCN:

HB2 stops Duke, North Carolina from playing NCAA games in home state

Early-round games were to have been held in Greensboro
From: OutSports

Duke had hoped to play Thursday close to home.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Originally, Duke and North Carolina would have played one or two early-round games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament starting today in Greensboro, N.C., before a ton of home-state fans. But not this year, thanks to the anti-LGBT state law, HB2.

Instead of Greensboro, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels will play games in Greenville, S.C. A trip for fans of either team will grow from about 50 miles had the games stayed in Greensboro to now about 235 miles in Greenville.

College basketball is practically a state religion in North Carolina, so the loss of the games hurts the state’s collective self-esteem and pocketbooks. The loss of the first- and second-round games this weekend is expected to cost Greensboro $14.5 million, according to a report in Sports Illustrated. And it’s all thanks to HB2, the “bathroom bill” that discriminates against transgender people and also removes other protections for LGBT people.

The NCAA last year removed all championship events from North Carolina and so far efforts in the state legislature to repeal it have stalled. This is all as the NCAA is deciding where to place future events, with April 18 as a key deadline for many events through 2022. From the Charlotte Observer:

ACC Commissioner John Swofford said last week the league is making contingency plans for other venues. Charlotte has been scheduled to host the ACC basketball tournament in 2019. It was scheduled to return to Greensboro in 2020.

“We’ve done some groundwork,” Swofford told the (Raleigh) News & Observer last week. “We would be remiss if we didn’t. This tournament takes up a week at a venue. Venues get booked. The longer we would wait the fewer places we would have available to us. Just from a practical standpoint, we don’t have any choice right now.”

Kim Strable, the president of the Greensboro Sports Council, told Sports Illustrated that losing the tournament games was akin to a tornado.  “The tornado actually hit our town and blew up stuff that is meaningful to us,” Strable said. “We lost some history and relationships here. We don’t know if this is all there is or if there’s more to come.”

North Carolina coach Roy Williams called HB2 “stupid” and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said it was “embarrassing.” But their voices haven’t mattered much as the state GOP-led legislature has dragged its feet on repealing HB2. If the law stays on the books, it might be a while before NCAA tournament basketball comes back to North Carolina.

‘Clean’ HB2 Repeal Bill Introduced by NC Democrats

From: Towleroad

Three Democratic state legislators in North Carolina brought forth a Senate bill this past Wednesday aimed at repealing last year’s HB2 anti-transgender “bathroom” bill that ushered in economic repercussions for the state due to its targeting of LGBTQ individuals.

SB25 offers a “clean” repeal, as opposed to the failed December attempt that belatedly tacked on an unnecessary six-month moratorium on local nondiscrimination ordinances that led to its bipartisan defeat, and is sponsored by Senators Jeff Jackson, Angela Bryant and Floyd McKissick. North Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Kimberly Reynolds said of the new bill:

“Each day it remains on the books, House Bill 2 continues to tarnish North Carolina’s national image and cost us tourism, investment, and jobs. Between the Democratic and Republican caucuses, there are enough votes for a clean repeal – just as there were in December. After getting us into this mess, Speaker Moore and President Pro Tem Berger should show some leadership for once and put North Carolina first by finally repealing this bill.”

Several economists have said HB2 has contributed to the loss of more than $600 million to the state’s economy, and thousands of lost jobs from potential new and expanded projects. North Carolina also lost NCAA and neutral site ACC championship events, including the NCAA men’s basketball tournament from Greensboro and the ACC football title game from Charlotte.

The negative attention and fervent activism centered on HB2 has fittingly served as a cautionary tale for other states who seek similar statutes.

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who was elected this past fall in part due to a voter backlash against former governor Pat McCrory’s stewardship and dogged defense of HB2, has already signaled his hope that the GOP-controlled NC Assembly would be able to finally repeal the bill on a bipartisan basis, which he would willingly sign.

27 Things To Look Forward To In 2017

From: NewNowNext

14

Roy Cooper sworn in as governor of North Carolina

Cooper was as excited as we are for him to take office—and undo the damage of Pat McCrory and HB2: He didn't wait until January 7, the scheduled inauguration day. Instead he’s chose to be sworn in on January 1.

17 States Where Gay Sex Is Outlawed

From: Advocate

 North Carolina

Section 14-177 and 14-184

Using much the same language as many of the other states' sodomy laws, North Carolina characterizes gay sex as lewd and lascivious. But interestingly, under Section 14-187 North Carolina also criminalizes the act of flashily registering as a married couple in a hotel or boarding house for "immoral purposes," reserving the misdemeanor specifically and only for couples of the opposite sex.

College Basketball Game At Duke University Were Canceled Over North Carolina’s HB2

"We instructed our campuses to immediately review any existing travel plans [to North Carolina] by faculty and staff, said a rep for SUNY-Albany.
From: NewNowNext

 North Carolina’s law banning trans people from using facilities that match their gender identity cost the state another victory: The Albany Great Danes canceled their  game against Duke University’s Blue Devils because of HB2.

Albany, a public university in the State University of New York system, did not travel to Durham for its scheduled November 12 match up.

“The State University of New York supports Governor Cuomo’s executive order banning all non-essential travel to the state of North Carolina,” SUNY spokesperson Holly Liapsis said in a statement.

“We instructed our campuses to immediately review any existing travel plans by faculty and staff. SUNY and its campuses continue to support the Governor on taking this stand.”

A field hockey games between Albany and Duke was also canceled.

After the North Carolina Legislature passed the measure, which also bans anti discrimination laws protecting LGBT people, several states, cities and corporations announced they were banning official travel to the Tar Heel State.

University Of North Carolina To Ignore State’s Anti-Trans Law

"I think [HB2] sends a chill throughout this institution for staff, faculty and student recruitment."

From: NewNowNext

The introduction of HB2 has caused controversy throughout the country,  the University of North Carolina  announced they will not be adhering to the anti-LGBT law.

The school revealed  in a federal court that the 17 campuses of UNC would not be discriminating against transgender people.

“I have no intent to exercise my authority to promulgate any guidelines or regulations that require transgender students to use the restrooms consistent with their biological sex,” said UNC system President Margaret Spellings.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued UNC last month on behalf of employees and students of the school after the university originally said it would be following the law.

LGBT civil rights organization Human Rights Campaign is now praising the school for changing its mind.

“Students have a right to learn without fear of discrimination, on or off campus, and university leaders have an obligation to protect them,” said HRC communications director Jay Brown. “We hope that university system officials go beyond declining to enforce the law, and join with the majority of fair-minded North Carolinians and the more than 200 business leaders calling for the full repeal of HB2.”

North Carolina Republicans Reneg On Promise To Fully Repeal HB2

Why are we even surprised?
From: NewNowNext

 Despite assurances from outgoing Governor Pat McCrory, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina have failed to deliver on their promise to fully repeal HB2, the controversial law that bars trans people from using facilities in line with their gender identity.

 On Monday, it was announced the General Assembly would convene a special session today to remove the law, after the Charlotte City Council agreed to repeal its LGBT rights ordinance. After a daylong closed session, lawmakers put forth a new bill today that undoes House Bill 2’s bathroom mandate—as well as its prohibition on ordinances protecting LGBT rights.

But it also creates a “six-month cooling-off period,” during which no North Carolina municipality can pass laws related to employment or public accommodations—specifically “access to restrooms, showers, or changing facilities.”

In a statement, National Center for Transgender Equality director Mara Keisling called the North Carolina General Assembly “a national disgrace.”

“The legislature’s actions today have proven that the people of North Carolina—particularly transgender North Carolinians—cannot have any faith in their shameless lawmakers,” she added.

Governor-elect Cooper, who made HB2’s repeal a big part of his campaign, is telling Democrats not to support the new measure.

Senate D member tells me @RoyCooperNC asked Democrats to oppose R #HB2 repeal bill b/c of 180-day moratorium language #ncpol #ncga https://t.co/s0f5LFicKy

— Nick Ochsner (@NickOchsnerWBTV) December 21, 2016

Dallas Woodhouse, director of the North Carolina GOP, claims Cooper is flip-flopping on his support for a repeal. He added that Cooper is kowtowing to “radical leftists who were waiting for the repeal and start this destructive fight all over.”

Its estimated HB2 cost North Carolina some $400 million, after corporations and sports teams canceled events in the state. More than half of voters said McCrory signing the law was a major factor in their decision to vote against him.

Last week, state lawmakers held another special session to limit some of Cooper’s powers before he takes office.

HB2 Will Be Repealed, Confirms North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory

As part of an agreement, Charlotte will also repeal its LGBT rights ordinance.
From: NewNowNext

 North Carolina’s divisive HB2 will be repealed in a special legislative session tomorrow, outgoing Governor Pat McCrory has confirmed.

 The news came after the Charlotte City Council repealed its LGBT rights ordinance, which had inspired North Carolina lawmakers to rush House Bill 2 into law.

“Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte’s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB 2 in full,” said incoming Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has opposed the transphobic law. “I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.

 Cooper said ending HB2 “will help to bring jobs, sports and entertainment events back and will provide the opportunity for strong LGBT protections in our state.”

In a statement, McCrory press secretary Graham Wilson blamed state Democrats for politicizing the situation. (Because laws and votes apparently are not inherently political.)

“Governor McCrory has always publicly advocated a repeal of the overreaching Charlotte ordinance. But those efforts were always blocked by Jennifer Roberts, Roy Cooper and other Democratic activists. This sudden reversal with little notice after the gubernatorial election sadly proves this entire issue originated by the political left was all about politics and winning the governor’s race at the expense of Charlotte and our entire state.”

Its estimated HB2 cost North Carolina millions of dollars, after corporations and sports teams canceled events in the Tar Heel State. More than half of voters said McCrory signing the law was a major factor in their decision to vote against him.

Mayor Jennifer Roberts said the repeal of the Charlotte ordinance “should in no way be viewed as a compromise of our principles or commitment to non-discrimination.” In May, the council voted against a symbolic repeal.

Last week, state lawmakers held another special session to limit some of Cooper’s powers before he takes office.

North Carolina Republicans Try Massive Power Grab

From: Boy Culture

With Republicans in North Carolina calling an emergency session in order to strip from the incoming Democratic governor as many powers as possible, Roy Cooper is promising to see those bastards in court — and look at the support he's got:

Citizens showed their disgust for the coup at the North Carolina General Assembly; they're not going away quietly down there.

America East Conference and Maine Men’s Basketball to Protest HB2, Transphobia at Duke Game

From: Towleroad

 When the Maine Black Bears face #4 Duke on Saturday, a game which will be broadcast life on ESPN2, they’ll be wearing black and rainbow-themed warm-up shirts in coordination with anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia sports organization You Can Play.

Tomorrow @BlackBearMBB will debut our #YCPinAE shirt to promote inclusion & equality for members of LGBTQ community affected by NC's HB2 law pic.twitter.com/mcppym8p67

— America East (@AmericaEast) December 2, 2016

The American East Conference is backing the protest in a move to be better allies with the LGBTQ community, according to You Can Play’s Chris Mosier, who is also the first trans athlete to win a spot on a US National team.

USA Today:

“It’s one thing to boycott or not show up because of the financial impact and the message that would send,” said Chris Mosier, You Can Play‘s vice president of program development and community relations. “But they wanted to be visible and the biggest thing is they want to take the next step. It’s not just wearing a pin or a patch or a shirt. They want to be better allies. And they would have done this whether it was Duke or any North Carolina institution because (HB2) doesn’t align with their values.”

…Other America East teams have boycotted HB2 altogether; the Albany men’s basketball team canceled its Nov. 12 matchup with the Blue Devils, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order banning publicly funded and nonessential travel to North Carolina. And the Vermont women’s basketball team canceled its road game against North Carolina.

Maine was considering following suit but ultimately chose to use the matchup against Duke as an educational exercise for the team members as well as an opportunity to visibly promote inclusion.

Headlines are missing the bigger picture- it's not just a shirt. They did the educational piece to truly make this impactful. #YCPinAE https://t.co/kp6cbfwZT9

— The Chris Mosier (@TheChrisMosier) December 2, 2016

Mosier told USA Today that he spoke with the Maine team about the protest they were about to make and they got it:

“It was a very engaging conversation,” Mosier said. “We talked about the importance of language and casual homophobia/transphobia, and they asked for tips on how to create more inclusive spaces. I told them about how HB2 affects real people and how it has affected me competing in North Carolina as an athlete. Sure, it might not affect (transgender people) at Duke but if I go to the grocery store or a restaurant I could be faced with discrimination. …I think it really helps to have a name and a face to go along with a story.”

Pundit Blames Keith Lamont Scott Shooting, Unrest, On Charlotte’s LGBT Rights Ordinance

“It is you that unleashed hell in our city when you tried to say that boys and girls are not that."

From: NewNowNext

In a spectacular display of ignorance, anti-LGBT preacher Flip Benham showed up at a Charlotte City Council meeting in September to say that the city’s current state of unrest has been caused not by anger over police violence, but by the passing of the non-discrimination ordinance that inspired HB 2.

Benham has railed against the ordinance ever since Mayor Jennifer Roberts passed it earlier this year, mostly by attending meetings where he reads from the Bible and yells at the City Council.

At this particular meeting, Benham read a passage that focused on prostitutes and watered-down wine before launching into his attack against Roberts.

He berated the mayor for continuing to support an ordinance that has caused “blood…to course down the corridors of our schools, our workplaces and our streets” and demanded that she repent for her sins, which, he argued, have brought on the citywide protests.

“It is you that unleashed hell in our city when you tried to say that boys and girls are not that,” he yelled. “You did it! Now repent, Jennifer Roberts, in the name of Jesus Christ!”

Benham has previously been kicked out of two City Council meetings—one in May, the other in August—and been reprimanded for attempting to disrupt Charlotte Pride.

HB2 Opponent Roy Cooper Claims Victory In North Carolina Governor’s Race

Incumbent Pat McCrory vows to count every vote until the results are official.
From: NewNowNext

 Next to the presidential race, North Carolina’s gubernatorial election may be the most watched in the nation: Residents were voting whether to reelect Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, but in a sense the race has been a referendum on HB2, the transphobic measure McCrory signed into law earlier this year.

 And while the election is deemed too close to officially call, Democratic challenger Roy Cooper has claimed victory.

Cooper, currently the state’s Attorney General, has vowed to repeal HB2, which both bans trans people from using facilities matching their gender identity and prohibits municipalities from passing LGBT protections.

He and McCrory traded places in the polls all election night, but by early the next morning, Cooper was leading by several thousand votes.

McCrory has vowed to make sure every vote is counted, saying he suspects there are thousands of provisional ballots that haven’t been added to the totals.

“We’ve got to respect the election system,” he said, adding that the final results won’t be known until the official canvas of votes on November 18.

Should Cooper be the ultimate victor, McCrory’s doubling down on the legislation — and the cost to the state in terms of businesses boycotting and negative publicity—will no doubt be considered a factor.

Early exit polls showed that 66% of North Carolinians oppose “bathroom laws” like HB2, compared to 29% who support them.

“Pat McCrory’s historic defeat is a beacon of hope for equality,” said HRC’s Chad Griffin and Equality North Carolina’s Chris Sgro in a joint statement. “Voters said that HB2 and the politics of hate have no place in the state of North Carolina.”