Following in the footsteps of some very powerful companies—including Apple, IBM, Wal-Mart, the NFL, the NBA and American Airlines—that are pressuring the state of North Carolina to repeal its evil law that forbids anti-discrimination statutes that protect LGBT people in any way, and bans trans people from using restrooms appropriate for their gender identities, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is piling on:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order banning all non-essential state travel to North Carolina. The order requires all New York State agencies, departments, boards and commissions to immediately review all requests for state funded or state sponsored travel to the state of North Carolina, and bar any such publicly funded travel that is not essential to the enforcement of state law or public health and safety.
The ban, which takes effect immediately, follows North Carolina’s enactment of a law which bars transgender individuals from using restrooms appropriate for their gender identities, excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from state anti-discrimination protections, and prohibits municipalities from extending those protections to LGBT citizens.
“In New York, we believe that all people – regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation – deserve the same rights and protections under the law,” said Governor Cuomo. “From Stonewall to marriage equality, our state has been a beacon of hope and equality for the LGBT community, and we will not stand idly by as misguided legislation replicates the discrimination of the past. As long as there is a law in North Carolina that creates the grounds for discrimination against LGBT people, I am barring non-essential state travel to that state.”
In 2015, Governor Cuomo banned non-essential state travel to the state of Indiana after that state’s legislature passed a controversial religious freedom measure that did not prohibit discrimination against LGBT citizens. The Indiana measure was later amended to prevent it from being used to discriminate against LGBT residents and travelers in Indiana, and that travel ban was lifted.
The text of the executive order can be read here.
More than 80 tech company CEOs—including those from Facebook, Lyft, Google, Dropbox, and Tumblr—sent an open letter (pdf) yesterday to North Carolina’s Gov. Pat McCrory, urging repeal. And the state’s Attorney General—a Democrat who is running for governor—says he will refuse to defend the law against court challenges, calling it “a national embarrassment.”
Apparently North Carolina legislators have nothing as urgent and pressing to deal with in the state than panty-sniffing, bathroom policing and sticking it to The Gays, since they hastily convened a special session last Wednesday just to introduce and pass the law. The House passed HB 2 on a vote of 83-25; the Senate passed it 32-0, “after Senate Democrats walked out in protest of the bill.” Gov. Pat McCrory signed it the same night, leaving opponents no time to organize and oppose it. Gosh, I wonder if that was intentional?
My Amazing Lover™ just canceled his long-planned trip to North Carolina this weekend, citing the law as responsible “in no small part” for his decision. I ♥︎ him too.
And I ♥︎ this d00d:
Picture of masculine-appearing trans man James P Sheffield tweeting: “@PatMcCroryNC It’s now the law for me to share a restroom with your wife. #HB2 #trans #NorthCarolina #shameonNC“
Jeezus, I am FEELING THE LOVE today, people! I may not even start drinking until after noon!
♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎
My hope is that LGBT people in North Carolina (and everywhere else) are feeling some of that love, too.
This law will not stand.
[cross-posted at perry street palace.]
Meanwhile sexual predators can now claim to be trans male and that they are legally required to use the women’s restroom.
NC state AG Cooper, who’s presently running for governor, is refusing to defend this sack of horseshit bill against the ACLU on the grounds that it’s unconstitutional, calling it “a national embarrassment.”
Steven Floyd: you mean “claim to be trans women” I think. And sexual predators also prey on men and boys.
Onamission5: Yes! That’s what I wrote! With a link and everything! ;)
I’m a dork.
I mean, um, it’s a heartening enough development that it bore repeating?
I ♥︎ dorks!
I am a lifelong North Carolina resident, and I consider myself a progressive. There are a lot of people like me who are disgusted with the republican bigots in Raleigh. I only hope that everyone shows their disgust by tossing McCrory and as many of his cronies as possible out on their asses in November. The problem is that there are still a lot of people in the state who hold the same views as their bigoted representatives. We constantly have to try dragging them kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
This bill is not only bad for LGBT individuals though. It is bad for women, minorities, and veterans as well. Those problems haven’t been publicized as widely, but they should be. It is truly a piece of legislative abomination.