Athlete Ally Condemns HB2 ‘Compromise’
In response to increased pressure from the NCAA to repeal HB2 in the next 24 hours or lose out on championship games until 2022, North Carolina lawmakers have concocted a backroom “deal” that not only continues the discriminatory trend started by the original bill, but makes the possibility of a full repeal less likely.
The current compromise proposed would continue to prohibit transgender people from using the facilities that best align with their gender, and would also block cities in North Carolina from passing protections that seek to protect the LGBT people in other areas for at least three years.
This deal between lawmakers is hardly progress, as the only acceptable step forward is a clean, full repeal of HB2. We urge the athletic community, along with others, to stand firm to the values of sport and only return to North Carolina when it can ensure a safe, fair, and hospitable climate for everyone.
“This HB2 replacement is still an anti-LGBT piece of legislation and does not change the fact that North Carolina is not a state that can provide a safe, healthy, and discrimination-free environment for sporting events they host,” says Athlete Ally Executive Director, Hudson Taylor. “The NCAA gave North Carolina an opportunity to undo the damage of HB2 and they failed to do so. To prevent the passage of non-discrimination and public accommodation bills until 2020, shows that North Carolina continues to lack the support of LGBT athletes and attendees necessary to host major sporting events.”