House Bill 2 is Discriminatory in Many Ways!!
There is a controversy brewing in North Carolina as I write this post. The Department of Justice has given officials from the State of North Carolina until the end of today to respond to allegations of discrimination caused by House Bill 2. This bill was passed in a twelve hour session of the North Carolina State house. It is designed to have people use the bathroom of the gender that was stated on their birth certificate. It was also designed to take away power of local municipalities to empower LGBT patrons to use the bathrooms of their choice.
At stake here is billions of dollars in federal funding. I guess, in many ways, residents of the state of North Carolina who support this legislation, are feeling like the federal government are interfering in the way that they govern their state. As evidenced by the government shutdown orchestrated by Senator Ted Cruz, many states rely on the federal government for funding and only cry foul when they lose this assistance. Curt Schilling, a former pro Baseball player, and current commentator, lost his job at ESPN due to insensitive comments on this issue. He stated in no uncertain terms that a man is a man no matter what he might claim to be. What happens in the case of a woman who transitions into a man?
I really feel for the people who are attempting to live with a gender identity crisis. In Philadelphia, and nationwide, transgender women have been murdered and assaulted in high numbers. Caitlyn Jenner is the most visible person to make this transition because of her money and platform from the Kardashians. I empathize with the individuals suffering with no support from family or friends as they just don't feel right in the body that they live in. The medical term for this issue is Gender Identity Disorder. This is the formal diagnosis used to describe people who experience significant distress identifying with their sex or gender from birth.
Recently, a young girl was sent home from her prom in Pennsylvania because she wore a tuxedo to the event. What adults could be so callous as to not let a team express themselves. I guess the same intransigence caused the legislators in North Carolina to enact this insensitive legislation. The Religious Right, as they used to be known, is painting the picture of deranged men in women's clothing who are waiting in stalls in hopes of assaulting their daughters. The real problem for me is the individual who really has to use the bathroom and is stopped by someone who wants to see their birth certificate. Does the law create a new employee classification to check gender identity at bathroom entrances? Who is the final arbiter of whether someone can enter the bathroom of their choice?
The NBA is supposed to hold their All Star game in Charlotte next year. They are already talking about relocating this economic engine. Bruce Springsteen has cancelled a concert there. Other major businesses have declined to expand in the state. Beyonce on the other hand, kept her date to perform in the state. The pro-Black formation performance at the Super Bowl must not extend to advocating for the rights of disaffected LGBT citizens. I just read that the state of North Carolina has sued the Department of Justice for unfairly targeting it with a an inquiry. Hotel reservations have been drying up but Governor McCrory is sticking to his proverbial guns. I oppose the legislation. I am against discrimination in any way shape or form. We will see how this plays out during election season.
P.S. The NBA decided to move the All Star Game out of the state of North Carolina this past week. Commissioner Adam Silver made a strong decision in defense of the rights off all citizens to enjoy unfettered access to public accommodations. Let's see the response by the legislature in this embattled state.
At stake here is billions of dollars in federal funding. I guess, in many ways, residents of the state of North Carolina who support this legislation, are feeling like the federal government are interfering in the way that they govern their state. As evidenced by the government shutdown orchestrated by Senator Ted Cruz, many states rely on the federal government for funding and only cry foul when they lose this assistance. Curt Schilling, a former pro Baseball player, and current commentator, lost his job at ESPN due to insensitive comments on this issue. He stated in no uncertain terms that a man is a man no matter what he might claim to be. What happens in the case of a woman who transitions into a man?
I really feel for the people who are attempting to live with a gender identity crisis. In Philadelphia, and nationwide, transgender women have been murdered and assaulted in high numbers. Caitlyn Jenner is the most visible person to make this transition because of her money and platform from the Kardashians. I empathize with the individuals suffering with no support from family or friends as they just don't feel right in the body that they live in. The medical term for this issue is Gender Identity Disorder. This is the formal diagnosis used to describe people who experience significant distress identifying with their sex or gender from birth.
Recently, a young girl was sent home from her prom in Pennsylvania because she wore a tuxedo to the event. What adults could be so callous as to not let a team express themselves. I guess the same intransigence caused the legislators in North Carolina to enact this insensitive legislation. The Religious Right, as they used to be known, is painting the picture of deranged men in women's clothing who are waiting in stalls in hopes of assaulting their daughters. The real problem for me is the individual who really has to use the bathroom and is stopped by someone who wants to see their birth certificate. Does the law create a new employee classification to check gender identity at bathroom entrances? Who is the final arbiter of whether someone can enter the bathroom of their choice?
The NBA is supposed to hold their All Star game in Charlotte next year. They are already talking about relocating this economic engine. Bruce Springsteen has cancelled a concert there. Other major businesses have declined to expand in the state. Beyonce on the other hand, kept her date to perform in the state. The pro-Black formation performance at the Super Bowl must not extend to advocating for the rights of disaffected LGBT citizens. I just read that the state of North Carolina has sued the Department of Justice for unfairly targeting it with a an inquiry. Hotel reservations have been drying up but Governor McCrory is sticking to his proverbial guns. I oppose the legislation. I am against discrimination in any way shape or form. We will see how this plays out during election season.
P.S. The NBA decided to move the All Star Game out of the state of North Carolina this past week. Commissioner Adam Silver made a strong decision in defense of the rights off all citizens to enjoy unfettered access to public accommodations. Let's see the response by the legislature in this embattled state.
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