In April 2016, the NBA announced that it would be moving its All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina unless the state either repealed or meaningfully revised its anti-LGBTQ Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2.
Today, the NBA made good on its promise.
The NBA issued the following statement today regarding the 2017 NBA All-Star Game pic.twitter.com/2yo1YDA2Un
— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2016
For months, the NBA had been trying to work with NC legislators to change the anti-LGBTQ bill, but to no avail. HB2 is best known as a “bathroom bill,” banning transgender people from using the public facilities that correspond to their identity and instead forcing them to use the facilities corresponding to the sex they were assigned at birth. However, the bill goes much further to discriminate against LGBTQ people. It legalizes anti-LGBTQ discrimination by eliminating all protections for LGBTQ people, meaning that LGBTQ people could legally be fired, evicted, denied healthcare, kicked out of businesses, rejected from schools, and more because of their gender identity or sexuality.
On May 9, the United States Department of Justice sued Governor Pat McCrory, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and the University of North Carolina system over HB2, as it violates the Civil Rights Act, the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Violence Against Women Act. In response, NC Republicans countersued the Department of Justice. The cost of defending NC’s discriminatory HB2 has been $8.4 million in taxpayer dollars.
In early July, the Republican-led legislature passed a “technical corrections” bill that only worsened the situation by $500,000 from the state’s Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund and giving it directly to Governor Pat McCrory’s office to defend HB2 in court. Rather than repealing the HB2, which would be the only actual way to “fix” it, NC Republicans instead chose to prioritize defending discrimination over the safety of their citizens.
The Charlotte Hornets, who fought particularly hard to fix the bill, expressed disappointment over NC Republican’s unwillingness to improve conditions for LGBTQ people. However, they also said that they “are pleased that the NBA opened the door for Charlotte to host All-Star Weekend again as soon as an opportunity was available in 2019.”
James Collins, a retired NBA player, went to Twitter to discuss the NBA’s announcement.
My official statement on the @NBA moving the 2017 All Star game out of North Carolina. #NBAfamily pic.twitter.com/65q0BBiKAU
— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins98) July 21, 2016
The Human Rights Campaign also praised the NBA for its decision to move the All-Star Game out of Charlotte. HRC President Chad Griffin said:
“Today the NBA and Commissioner Silver sent a clear message that they won’t stand for discrimination against LGBTQ employees, players or fans. The NBA repeatedly warned state lawmakers that their hateful HB2 law created an inhospitable environment for their 2017 All-Star Game and other events. Nevertheless, Governor McCrory, Senator Berger and Speaker Moore doubled down on HB2 and refused to undo their discriminatory and costly error in judgment. Every day that HB2 remains on the books, people across North Carolina are at risk of real harm. We appreciate the leadership of the NBA in standing up for equality and call once again on lawmakers to repeal this vile HB2 law.”
Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro made a similar statement:
“North Carolina General Assembly leadership and Governor McCrory repeatedly ignored the warning bells as businesses, conferences and entertainers left the state. From the beginning, NBA leadership has been clear that HB2 creates an untenable situation and jeopardizes the safety and comfort of their fans. The withdraw of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte came as the NBA took a principled stand against the discriminatory HB2 and the failure to repeal HB2 by Senate Leader Berger, Speaker Moore and Governor McCrory. When the City of Charlotte passed vital LGBT protections from discrimination last year, they made themselves a more competitive city for events like the All-Star Game. McCrory, Berger, and Moore have continued to put North Carolina in economic harm’s way with the worst anti-LGBT bill in the nation, despite the best efforts of Charlotte city leaders to keep the game. We applaud the NBA for its commitment to all fans, and hope that North Carolina’s leadership will heed this wakeup call and repeal HB2 before we suffer even more as a state.”
Governor Pat McCrory responded to the NBA’s decision by defending HB2, criticizing liberals, invalidating transgender identities, and attacking Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is running against him in the 2016 North Carolina gubernatorial election.
