Much to the chagrin of LGBTQ activists and the newly elected Democratic governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper, state lawmakers voted on Thursday not to repeal the controversial HB2, otherwise known as the “Bathroom Bill.”
The bill, which passed earlier in the year under the reign of Republican governor Pat McGrory, mandates that individuals must use bathrooms in government buildings that correspond to the gender in which they were born. Opponents of the bill consider the law exclusionary and say that it discriminates against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Proponents of the bill argue that the new law protects women and girls from potential sexual assault and exhibitionists who could take advantage of the liberal definition of what constitutes a man or a woman.
This week Dr. Susan Berry reported at Breitbart News that then Governor McGrory signed HB2, “to nullify a new ordinance in Charlotte that allowed anyone who simply declared they had changed their sex to use the other sex’s restrooms. The ordinance was pushed forward by registered sex offender Chad Sevearance-Turner and national gay-advocacy groups during the tenure of Mayor Jennifer Roberts.”
Dr. Berry continued, “Following the passage of HB2, progressive groups pushed major sports organizations, businesses, and celebrities to boycott the state. The resulting boycotts helped the state’s establishment media to portray the privacy-protecting law as an economic hazard. In general, gay groups opposed the HB2 law because they seek to blur the social and legal recognition of the two male and female sexes.”
Because North Carolina lawmakers maintain the belief that you should use the bathroom based on the gender in which you were born, a plethora of celebrities, entertainers, and sports organizations have boycotted the state. Both Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam pulled their concerts from the Tar Heel State, and PayPal dropped plans for a facility that would have added 400 jobs in Charlotte
Moreover, Breitbart reported in April that Los Angeles City Council members voted unanimously to abstain from conducting business with North Carolina because of the law.
Nancy Armour reports at USA Today that because of the law the NCAA eliminated North Carolina’s chance of hosting its March Madness championship in Greensboro this fall and replaced it with Greenville, S.C..
According to Armour, “North Carolina has chosen to stay on the wrong side of history and decency. It shouldn’t be surprised when the NCAA and other major sports organizations refuse to play along.”
The wrong side of history and decency for Armour overlooks the countless number of indecent incidents reported as a result of any gendered person being able to declare which bathroom they want to use. Here are 25 incidents to consider before voting for or endorsing a freedom to use any bathroom law.