NC passes the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act
The state of North Carolina has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks, in regards to a recently passed law that is said to be anti-LGBTQ+. The House Bill 2 (HB2), or the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, was passed on Wednesday March 26, 2016, as part of a special session that was convened as a measure to nullify an ordinance passed in the city of Charlotte earlier in February.
The original intention of the law passed in Charlotte was to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals from being discriminated against by businesses, in a similar manner to how race, gender, age, and religion are currently protected. HB2 makes it so that state laws supersede any legislation put forward by municipalities, while also setting a statewide definition of which groups can be protected from discrimination. The bill further protects the religious freedoms of businesses, and allows them to manage their employees in ways that align with their religious beliefs.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…businesses are now able to terminate the employment of LGBTQ+ employees…[/pullquote]
One of the prolific consequences of the bill, which has given it the nickname the “Bathroom Bill,” is that transgender individuals who have not taken surgical and legal action to change their gender from the one noted on their birth certificate, have no legal right to use the public bathrooms of the gender with which they identify. Furthermore, as North Carolina is a state which has never had anti-discrimination laws in place, in regards to the anti-LGTBQ+ community, businesses are now able to terminate the employment of LGBTQ+ employees on the grounds of exercising their religious freedom.
The passing of House Bill 2 has sparked a massive outcry from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Rock-and-roll legend Bruce Springsteen announced on April 8 that he would be cancelling the North Carolina stop on his current tour in protest of HB2.
“Some things are more important than a rock show, and this fight against prejudice and bigotry—which is happening as I write—is one of them,” wrote Springsteen on his website. “It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”
Springsteen isn’t the only voice calling out in protest against the bill. Entertainment mega-corporation Disney has also lent their sizeable influence to the protest. Disney, a company that films a variety of their ABC-produced content in North Carolina, has stated that these productions will be moved to other states if the bill is not repealed. The entertainment giant gave a similar ultimatum in late March to the state of Georgia, where they film a host of their Marvel productions, including the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 2, if the state did not strike down a similar bill.
While it’s too early to tell what the economic impact will be as more companies boycott the state of North Carolina in protest, there has been no word on whether the new law will be repealed soon.