Many of us are quite aware of the North Carolina law requiring transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their birth gender. The bill, which has drawn national scrutiny, was passed by a Republican controlled legislature and a Republican governor in 2016. What they did not anticipate was a backlash from LGBT activist groups and athletic bodies.
The NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference were the first to react. All sporting championship events were relocated to other venues and the ACC pulled its championships for the current athletic season out of the state and moved them to neighboring South Carolina.
Following in the NCAA’s footsteps, the National Basketball Association also pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte. This was intended to send a dire message to the state legislature that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated.
Things have not been easy for the newly elected Democratic governor either. Just when it seemed that a repeal might be in the works, GOP leaders convened a surprise session that was strictly designed to prevent the repeal of the controversial bill. Democratic governor Roy Cooper, who was elected to the position last November, has tried to get the bill repealed.
Close to $4 million in lost revenue has resulted from the fallout of passing the bill.
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