Statement from Rick Glazier, Executive Director of the NC Justice Center: Full repeal of HB2 is long overdue

Justice Center will continue to support statewide non-discrimination law to protect LGBTQ North Carolinians

RALEIGH (February 14, 2017) — We strongly support Governor Cooper’s common sense proposal to repeal the harmful House Bill 2.

A full repeal of HB2 is long overdue. We have argued against this ill-conceived and poorly vetted bill since its earliest conception nearly a year ago. Prioritizing misguided discrimination above the safety of residents, freedoms of local government, and rights of workers has been a drain on our state’s economy and detrimental to its reputation, not to mention a serious blow to the morale of communities across the state.

Repealing HB2 will begin the process of correcting the bill’s enormously destructive impact on our state’s national and international reputation, but more can be done to ensure the well-being of all North Carolinians. Although the Governor’s proposal requires local governments to notify the legislature before voting on non-discrimination ordinances, the Justice Center urges lawmakers to subsequently pass a statewide non-discrimination law that would protect LGBTQ North Carolinians.

Enough is enough. Lawmakers must undo this divisive law that has taken far too much from our state, and did nothing to solve any of the alleged “problems” it set out to solve.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Rick Glazier, rick@ncjustice.org, 919.856.3193; Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org, 919.863.2406.