The move is in response to the state’s transgender bathroom law, or HB2, an act passed in March in North Carolina, which dictates that individuals are only allowed to go into the bathroom of the gender on their birth certificate. “Enough – We need to repeal this law and get our state back on track”, said Cooper for NC Spokesman Ford Porter.
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The Greensboro area was expected to receive a $14.5 million infusion from the tournament, as well as $1.6 million from the soccer championships in December that are being moved, said Henri Fourrier, CEO of the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
And if last night’s statement from the North Carolina Republican Party is any indication, the NCAA’s decision seems likely to cause conservatives to dig in their heels.
Kami Mueller, the state GOP’s spokesperson, responded to the NCAA with this: “This is so absurd it’s nearly comical”.
In a statement released on Monday, the NCAA said they are relocating seven of their planned championship events, citing that the HB2 law better known as the “bathroom law” is discriminatory.
“It’s just nonsense and completely offensive and condescending toward women and trans people”, said Mara Keising, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “There’s, of course, Division II and III conferences that have a lot of events in North Carolina as well”. They’ll have plenty of people involved in the debate that were also engaged with the NCAA.
McCrory signed the measure into law and has continued to defend it as he campaigns for a second four-year term.
North Carolina laws invalidate any local law that treats sexual orientation as a protected class or has a goal to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals.
“If the NCAA wants to refuse to hold the tournament in the state with one of the richest collegiate sports histories and the fastest growing economy in the nation, that is their decision”.
“I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor”.
Emmert told the AP the two issues are not related.
The top six teams at each site advance to the NCAA Championship.
An official, photographers, cheerleaders and others wait for play to resume during an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second-round game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Cavaliers in March in Raleigh, N.C. This coming spring the Road to the Final Four won’t go through North Carolina, as the NCAA has chose to move three games out of Greensboro.
Also in early 2017, the softball championships come to Chapel Hill, the tennis championships will be decided in Cary and the ACC baseball tournament will return to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
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In its announcement Monday, the NCAA took special note of ways North Carolina’s law differs from other states.
