Anti-trans law causes public outrage in North Carolina

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

(RALEIGH, N.C.) - Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law an anti-trans bill Wednesday night, and outrage ensued. Crowds of people from all over North Carolina formed a protest in downtown Raleigh.

House Bill 2 is “an act to provide for single-sex multiple occupancy bathroom and changing facilities in schools and public agencies and to create statewide consistency in regulation of employment and public accommodations,” according to its official decree.  

It goes on to define the bathroom and changing facilities clause, saying, “Biological sex. – The physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person’s birth certificate….Public agencies shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility to be designated for and only used by persons based on their biological sex.”

After McCrory signed the bill, he tweeted: “Ordinance defied common sense, allowing men to use women’s bathroom/locker room for instance. That’s why I signed bipartisan bill to stop it.”

The protest in Raleigh persisted despite five arrests, as people held signs reading I’ll use my gender neutral restroom to flush HB 2 and Ban bullying bills!

Republican officials and supporters claim the bill is for public safety. A large portion of North Carolinians disagree.

HB 2 is an oppressive bill, focused on the right-wing fixation on taking away transgender rights.

On protesters, Micky Bee of the Transgender Law Center said, “All of these people are angry.…They have been left out of the democratic process.

“Our communities are strong, our communities are resilient and our communities want solutions that include them. This is hate and bigotry.”

The Gayly – 3/25/2016 @ 10:31 a.m. CST