North Carolina House Bill 2, or HB2 for short and nicknamed the “bathroom bill”, is a bill passed past year that restricts transgendered persons to using the bathroom of their birth rather than their gender identity. The law restricts transgender bathroom use (you have to use the bathroom for the gender with which you were born) and preempted anti-discrimination ordinances put in by Charlotte and other North Carolina cities that tried to block discrimination against gays and lesbians. ‘Should the National Basketball Association choose to bring the All-Star Game back to New Orleans in 2017, it will strongly reaffirm its commitment to communities that value fairness and inclusion’.
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“We embrace our rich cultural heritage and see our diversity as a virtue”, Edwards wrote in a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in late July.
While an estimated 20 parishes in south-central Louisiana (mostly near Baton Rouge) have been declared federal disaster areas due to substantial flood damage, most of New Orleans has remained dry, several media outlets have reported.
In addition to the game, the Smoothie King Center will host the Rising Stars Challenge on February 17 and All-Star Saturday Night on February 18 while the NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Memphis, Sacramento and Oklahoma City have also never hosted a game. Nevertheless, hometown teams including the NBA’s Pelicans and the NFL’s New Orleans Saints have also pledged resources and assistance in the recovery effort. New Orleans is a noted tourist city, but accommodations might be hard to come by.
A number of entertainment acts, including a Bruce Springsteen concert, have canceled North Carolina events because of its so-called HB2 law.
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In a statement released last July, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated, “Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is meant to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community – current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans. The fan experience can’t get any better than that”.
