LGBT sports activists have a message for
Both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the NCAA removed all of its championship events last fall from North Carolina. ACC Commissioner John Swofford is seeing encouraging movement in North Carolina to reopen talks of holding ACC tournaments in that state, but LGBT sports activists are telling Swofford to not give in yet. They feel the bipartisan proposal is not enough.
“If legislation is passed that resets the law as it was prior to HB2, it will present the opportunity to reopen the discussion with the ACC Council of Presidents regarding neutral site conference championships being in the state of North Carolina" Swofford says.
But some LGBT organizations believe House Bill 186, proposed Wednesday, doesn't fully repeal HB2 and is still discriminatory. The bill would allow North Carolina cities to pass their own nondiscrimination ordinances, with the limitation that they would not be allowed to regulate bathroom access in private facilities.
"The ACC must stand for a full repeal of HB2," said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of the LGBT sports organization, Campus Pride. "We need to let the ACC Commissioner and ACC schools know that this repeal effort is not a fix at all. It is not a full repeal and still discriminates against transgender people. The ACC, NCAA and others must stand strong for its values of inclusion and diversity of all athletes and sports fans." – usatoday.com
Campus Pride has organized a petition to tell viewers of HB186 to not be fooled by this bait and switch tactic and that there needs to be a full repeal of HB2 and not a band-aid or compromise.
Rep.
Chuck McGrady , R-Henderson, a sponsor of HB186 along with another Republican and two Democrats, has sold the bill as a compromise. The bill would provide universities and community colleges the option to expand protected classes and administers stricter penalties for bathroom privacy-related crimes. – usatoday.com
Do you feel a full repeal of HB2 could happen?
Do you think a compromise bill should be signed just in case a full repeal cannot happen?
Full repeal, nothing less!
Full repeal, nothing less!