Atlanta Hopes To Be Awarded The NBA All-Star Game After NC Passed Anti-LGBT Discrimination Law


The fallout from North Carolina’s passage of an anti-LGBT bill continues. The city of Charlotte is slated to host the 2017 NBA All-Star game, but Atlanta is hoping to change that. The Atlanta City Council drafted a resolution asking the NBA to remove the game from Charlotte and instead hold it in the Peach State due to North Carolina’s discriminatory law. The governor of Georgia recently vetoed that state’s anti-LGBT bill after tremendous public outcry and pressure from corporations.

North Carolina’s HB2 bans transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice, among other things. Its passage came in response to the Charlotte City Council passing an ordinance that guaranteed protections for many in the LGBT community. Unlike Gov. Deal in Georgia, Gov. McCrory doesn’t seem to care about his state losing business because of discrimination. Various businesses around the state have stated that they don’t support the law, including Charlotte’s own Hornets basketball team.

A logical decision would be for the state to repeal this law, but Gov. McCrory has doubled down on it instead. His office released an 18-point response to critics of HB2 on his website. The governor has stated that the bill does not take away anyone’s rights. PolitiFact North Carolina rated that statement as “False.”

A spokesperson for the NBA, Mike Bass, said that he is hopeful that Charlotte and the state can work out their differences long before the game. NBA All-Star Weekend is scheduled for Feb. 17-19, 2016. Hosting the coveted event could bring in $100 million dollars for the city of Charlotte and would showcase the city as a place for investment.


Unfortunately, Gov. McCrory would rather entrench discrimination in North Carolina instead of attracting more businesses to his state. Maybe the NBA needs to send a stronger message and take the game away. North Carolina doesn’t deserve the support.

Featured image via Flickr by David Marcel under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.