North Carolina’s Republican governor and lawmakers blame Charlotte for spurring the state measure, which has drawn rebuke from major companies and sports organizations since it was passed in March.
Advertisement
McCrory spoke at the Charlotte Rotary luncheon where he expressed frustration with Charlotte’s political leaders for refusing to consider repealing the original city non-discrimination ordinance.
However, the city has flatly rejected any such “deal”, signalling that LGBT rights are not up for negotiation or “compromise”.
A North Carolina legislative leader says he questions whether the mayor of Charlotte wants to solve the state’s conflicts over gay rights and discrimination laws, given her response Monday to his offer to make a deal leading to the repeal of both the city’s expanded protections and the state law blocking such protections for LGBT people.
At a council meeting on Monday, she refused to put the issue on the agenda.
The Charlotte city ordinance made it illegal for businesses to discriminate against gay and transgender customers. McCrory announced on Friday that he would call the session and believed that there were the legislative votes to repeal H.B. He has been the most high-profile defender of the law. McCrory was speaking to the Hood Hargett group of business and civic leaders just one day after the Atlantic Coast Conference opted to take this year’s football championship contest out of Charlotte, and a couple days removed from the NCAA’s decision to pull seven events from the state in the wake of the fallout from HB2, or the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.
“We applaud the Governor for recognizing the state needs to overturn HB2, which the state can do at any time without any action from the City of Charlotte”, Roberts said. The City Council held a zoning meeting Monday night without discussing its ordinance. That lawsuit, which continues, said the North Carolina law “singles out transgender individuals, results in their isolation and exclusion, and perpetuates a sense that they are not worthy of equal treatment and respect”.
Roberts told the audience at the council meeting, some of whom brought signs calling for H.B. HB 2 prevented cities and counties from enacting laws allowing transgender people to use the public restroom or locker room that corresponds with their gender identity.
Sentiment may be leaning against the Republicans on this issue.
An Elon University Poll released Monday found that nearly 50 percent of respondents oppose HB2, while almost 40 percent support it, and close to 60 percent said that the law has damaged the state’s reputation. “PayPal, the NCAA, and the ACC all left because of HB2”, said Executive Director of Equality NC Chris Sgro. “It’s likely not going to stop until we do something about it”, Cooper said.
Elmore said in response by phone Monday morning, “The point of the bill (HB2) was that Charlotte didn’t have authority to do what it did because the Charlotte ordinance superseded state and federal law”.
The city council holds its next regular public meeting September 26.
Advertisement
The Washington Blade has placed a call in with the office of McCrory seeking comment on Charlotte’s refusal at this time to take up to rescind its LGBT non-discrimination ordinance in exchange for repeal of HB2.
