Leaders in the North Carolina House of Representatives have drafted changes to their controversial HB2 “bathroom” bill. The move comes after the state received pressure from the NBA who is set to have the 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte.
The drafted legislation attempts to “walk back” some of the discriminatory measures in the original bill. LGBT advocates in the state say the proposed changes are not enough while most will not settle for anything less than a full repeal of the bill.
“The proposed draft states that transgender citizens would require a “certificate of sex reassignment” in order to use the restroom that matches their gender identity.”
The proposed draft states that transgender citizens would require a “certificate of sex reassignment” in order to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. To obtain the certificate, one would have to write an application to the State Registrar and provide a notarized statement from either the physician who performed the reassignment surgery or a licensed physician that can certify that the surgery had been performed. The draft also proposes changes to the bill that would follow new federal statutes. In addition to the federal statutes, the draft includes stricter penalties for crimes committed in restrooms.
The NBA is currently reconsidering whether they will allow the 2017 Basketball All-Star game to be played in the state. “What the league is looking for is for anyone to be able to use, at any All-Star venue, the bathroom associated with their gender identity,” said a league spokesperson to CBS 2 News in North Carolina. That would include all venues used by NBA teams.
“The NBA remains deeply concerned about its ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver clarified that “The NBA remains deeply concerned about its ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.” View the full report from CBS 2 North Carolina below:
Mila Madison – | Twitter | Instagram | Email
Nice try North Carolina, but this proposal makes the bill even worse. It is clear that these people do not know anything about the transgender community and what life is like for us. To force people to present a certificate of gender reassignment is outright humiliating. Only about 33% of transgender people opt for surgery. It does not define who we are and any attempt to do so is discriminatory. I would like to see the NBA take a hard stand here as some of their outspoken representatives such as Charle Barkley have been publicly stating that the game should be moved. There should be no All-Star game in North Carolina until there is a full repeal of HB2.
