When Democrat Roy Cooper ran for governor in 2016,??? ?????.???.??????.?????? he made one promise to his constituents: that he would work to repeal HB2, North Carolina's notorious anti-trans bathroom law.
Cooper has struggled to make good on his promise as Republicans in the state legislature opposed repealing the law. On Thursday, Republicans and Democrats came together to vote for HB142, just before the deadline it had been given by the NCAA, which is boycotting the state. LGBTQ groups are calling the replacement law a "scam."
It appears the bill was pushed through in an effort to lure back the basketball association, which said it would not allow North Carolina to host upcoming college championship games unless there were changes to the law made by Thursday.
HB2 required that transgender and non-confirming people use bathrooms in government facilities according to the sex assigned on their birth certificate and threatened to cost the state billions in lost revenue due to protests from businesses and sports teams. HB142 puts state legislators in charge of regulating public multi-stall bathrooms. That prohibits local officials from passing any bathroom regulations or anti-discrimination protections until 2020 which, they say, would give time for related court cases to be played out.
In other words, the bill removes the offending bathroom rule about birth certificates but also ensures no protections for the LGBTQ community will be enacted, unless approved by the state legislature.
Major LGBTQ rights groups and their allies were outraged, and they made it known on Twitter.
The remixed #HB2 is incendiary & about more than bathrooms. It blocks non-discrimination protections til 2020. https://t.co/qPNrCKJw0l
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) March 30, 2017
Horrible and fake repeal passes both House and Senate in North Carolina. One signature away from a new nightmare. #RepealHB2
— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) March 30, 2017
Disappointed the #NCGA just voted for a bill which fails to end LGBT discrimination in a move to put basketball over civil rights. #ncpol
— ACLU National (@ACLU) March 30, 2017
Dear @NC_Governor, my family & friends turned out in droves to elect you based on expectation of a complete #HB2 repeal. We're watching you.
— Jen Richards (@SmartAssJen) March 30, 2017
This backroom deal is NOT a true repeal of #HB2...
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) March 30, 2017
The bill that's being heard in NC tomorrow morning is not a repeal of #HB2. Read more from @MaraKeisling here: https://t.co/OGqUg3ZBKA pic.twitter.com/knS7EdgNam
— Trans Equality (@TransEquality) March 30, 2017
I will PayPal $10 to anyone who can accurately tell me
— Militia Etheridge (@MaryEmilyOHara) March 30, 2017
1) How the #HB2 "replacement" bill is not just HB2
2) How this helps LGBT in NC
Every lawmaker who supported #HB2 "deal" has betrayed the LGBTQ community. Discrimination remains legal under new dangerous law. #NCpol
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) March 30, 2017
I can represent my country in sports, yet I'm not safe or protected in own country to be transgender in public spaces. #TeamUSA #HB2 #HB142 pic.twitter.com/wY8UKz6byO
— The Chris Mosier (@TheChrisMosier) March 30, 2017
Me, today, generally. #HB2 pic.twitter.com/mKsXMWtaGZ
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) March 30, 2017
The bill is currently headed to Gov. Cooper, who has endorsed the bill and is expected to sign it.
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