A compromise has been reached in North Carolina’s battles over transgender bathroom use. The city of Charlotte will repeal its controversial ordinance and the state government will repeal the law passed in reaction to that ordinance.
North Carolina’s controversial law that requires transgender individuals to use state-operated bathrooms consistent with their biological sex will likely be repealed in a special session of the state’s legislature on Tuesday.
On Monday, North Carolina’s Republican Gov. Pat McCrory called for the state’s lawmakers to convene a special session so they can officially repeal the highly controversial H.B. 2, a law that prevents local governments from requiring businesses and other places of public accommodation to allow transgender individuals to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
H.B. 2 was originally passed in response to a discrimination ordinance enacted by the Charlotte City Council that forced all businesses in Charlotte to open up their bathrooms and other changing areas to transgender individuals — a measure that opponents argued would make it easier for sexual predators to gain access to women’s and girl’s bathrooms.
McCrory and the state lawmakers received national criticism from left-leaning media, corporations and celebrities who pushed back against H.B. 2 and claimed that the law was discriminatory and politicized bathroom usage.
But after the Charlotte City Council voted unanimously on Monday to repeal its discrimination ordinance, McCrory’s press secretary, Graham Wilson, issued a statement calling for the repeal of H.B. 2.
“Now that the Charlotte ordinance has been repealed, the expectation of privacy in our showers, bathrooms and locker rooms is restored and protected under previous state law,” Wilson said. “Governor McCrory has always publicly advocated a repeal of the overreaching Charlotte ordinance. But those efforts were always blocked by [Charlotte Mayor] Jennifer Roberts, [Attorney General and Governor-elect] Roy Cooper and other Democratic activists.” … Read More