Also in Raleigh, the State Democratic Party called on Republican State Senator Buck Newton to apologize for a remark he made about HB2 where he said, “tell your friends and family how hard we must fight to keep our state straight”.
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North Carolina’s controversial new anti-transgender law has triggered a cavalcade of criticism since it became law in March, with businesses, famous musicians, and even Donald Trump expressing disproval of legislation that forces schools and public buildings to discriminate against transgender individuals and their bathroom use.
Police arrested 54 protesters who came to voice opposition to the law late Monday as legislators returned to start their session. All but one were to be charged with second-degree trespassing, acting General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock said.
“As a place that stands for equality and respect, Montgomery County should not support jurisdictions that have enacted laws that perpetuate hate, fear, and bigotry”, reads the resolution. HB 2, of course, bans cities and localities from passing strong nondiscrimination protections for transgender people and bans transgender people from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.
In Raleigh, a group of Jewish Rabbis gathered at the legislative offices to show their support for repealing HB-2.
“It took great courage for them to establish this bill”, said Doug Woods, 82, of Raleigh, a rally participant.
Protesters prayed, sang civil rights songs and listened to exhortations from Rev. William Barber, state president of the NAACP, as they loudly called for a repeal to the law. “North Carolina sticks together”. “But that does not mean that we should expose our wives and our sisters and our children to the sexual predators in the bathrooms”.
“One of the Republican sponsors of HB 2 just admitted the real objective of the law: to make North Carolina unwelcoming to (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people”, party spokesman Dave Miranda said in a statement. The arguments over the law resumed on Tuesday, after Democrats in the legislature complained about statements made on Monday by GOP state Sen. “But it would stop the bleeding and put North Carolina back on the path of progress and moving forward”. A repeal is “not going to happen”, McCrory told reporters in Wrightsville Beach, although he wants a portion removed that appears to prevent workers from suing in state court under an employment non-discrimination law. Pat McCrory and other state officials over the law.
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Senate leader Phil Berger said Monday night that he wasn’t swayed by the protesters.
