New Governor Promises North Carolina Will Repeal The Disastrous ‘Bathroom Bill’ (TWEET/VIDEO)

On Monday, the Charlotte City Council voted unanimously to invalidate the LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance that helped pave the way for North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill.”

This bill – known formally as House Bill 2 (HB2) – required transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificate. It also reversed local ordinances that increased protections for LGBT people and limited some minimum-wage standards.

All in all, a terrible piece of legislation that rightfully created an uproar.

Special Session To Repeal HB2

Democratic Governor-elect Roy Cooper announced that this bill will be repealed after saying he received assurances from the senate leader and House speaker, both Republican, that the law will be repealed in a special session on Tuesday:

“I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.”

Cooper, who was the state attorney general, beat incumbent Republican Governor Pat McCrory in November’s wild and contentious election. McCrory has faced massive backlash for enacting HB2, ultimately contributing to a black eye for his state and his own loss in last month’s election.

Economic Backlash

The passing of HB2 led to boycotts by sports teams and businesses across the country. The NCAA and NBA moved games that had been set to play in the state, while businesses including PayPal and Deutsche Bank abandoned their plans to expand in the state with hundreds of jobs.

Rep. Larry Hall, the House Democratic leader, lamented:

“A lot of damage has been done… We’ll never get those jobs back and those opportunities back. At least it stops the bleeding if we do this now, so that we can be competitive again.”

Forbes estimates that North Carolina lost more than $600 million in business due to this bill. One positive aspect that this whole debacle has shown is that given the right motivation, the American public truly can come together and use our money and our voice to correct injustices. Let’s hope we don’t have to do it again anytime soon.

Watch the video below to see Seth Meyers dismantle the discrimination of these “bathroom laws”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0uBwpQivG8

Featured image credit: from Roy Cooper’s Facebook page

Currently a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Has experience in diabetes and cancer research, as well as a background in marine biology. Writes science and health blogs on his website at http://dochogblog.weebly.com/blog