Today, North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill that claims to repeal HB2, a controversial bathroom law that has plagued transgender North Carolinians for nearly a year. Unfortunately, the bill continues to block non-discrimination ordinances from being passed by local governments until 2020 and leaves regulation of bathroom access solely in control of the Legislature.
Following today’s action by North Carolina’s legislature and Governor on HB2, that state’s notorious “bathroom ban bill,” Transgender Law Center executive director Kris Hayashi issued the following statement:
“While the legislature and Governor rescinded the birth certificate requirement under HB2 today, in order to obtain this concession they bargained away the civil rights of transgender people by removing the ability of cities and school districts to protect them in the future. And while transgender people may use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity as a result of this concession, they have no legal recourse if anyone should bar them from the bathroom. The transgender people of North Carolina deserve better.”
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Transgender Law Center is the largest national organization dedicated to advancing the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming people through litigation, policy advocacy, and public education so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. www.transgenderlawcenter.org