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North Carolina Dems slam ‘keep our state straight’ comment

A recent arrest of more than 50 people rattled North Carolina, related to the highly intriguing bathroom bill.

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The leader of a national advocacy group says transgender people used bathrooms aligned with their gender identity during protests in North Carolina’s Legislative Building and weren’t arrested for it, despite a law curtailing LGBT rights.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday joining a growing boycott of North Carolina in response to a law viewed by many as discriminatory against gays, lesbians and transgender people. One man who had to be carried out by officers was to face a resisting arrest charge, according to Brock. The state’s Republican leaders said they don’t plan to repeal the law, a stance likely to stoke further demonstrations over the several weeks they’re slated to meet.

Democratic Party Spokesman Dave Miranda said that remark by Newton is an admission that the real objective of HB2 is, “to make North Carolina unwelcoming to LGBT people”. “Whether folks are struggling with drugs or struggling with their marriages, figuring out what it is that they’re supposed to be doing in life, we can all have sympathy for that”, Newton is seen telling the crowd in a video recorded by Progress North Carolina Action.

The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority estimates the controversial law has already cost more than $2.5 million U.S. in lost spending from cancelled conferences and events and from groups that had short-listed the state’s largest city for upcoming events, but pulled out due to their opposition to the legislation. Key lawmakers who pushed through the legislation also urged the rally attendees to contact colleagues and fight off efforts to overturn the law.

“North Carolina is so much better than this”, he said.

Protesters flooded walkways in an area outside Moore’s office and near House chambers, chanting or singing, “I woke up this morning with my mind set on freedom”, “We shall not be moved” and “Repeal, we’ll leave”.

The arrests came hours after thousands of Christian conservatives and other supporters of the law gathered on a grassy mall behind the Legislative Building to praise the mostly Republican legislators and GOP Gov. Pat McCrory for passing the restrictions last month in a special session.

He said Monday night he hadn’t heard from any colleagues whose support for the law had been swayed based on the protests and economic fallout.

“I’m afraid if they don’t change it”, he said, “it’ll hurt the state”. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

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Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.

Amanda Terkel  The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post received this roll of custom-printed toilet paper from North Carolina-based ad agency McKinney