NBA Commissioner Warns All-Star Game Will Move from North Carolina If Lawmakers Fail to Change HB 2

Today, HRC hailed the news that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s radical anti-LGBT HB 2 must be changed or the league will move the 2017 All-Star Game out of the state. The commissioner’s comments come just days before the North Carolina General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene.

Today at the Associated Press Sports Editors’ commissioner meetings, Silver said of the league’s plan to hold the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte: “We’ve been, I think, crystal clear a change in the law is necessary for us to play in the kind of environment that we think is appropriate for a celebratory NBA event.”

“Commissioner Silver’s comments are crystal clear: If Governor McCrory, Senator Berger, and state lawmakers do not act immediately to repeal their deeply discriminatory HB 2 law, North Carolina will lose the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, costing the state and regional businesses millions of dollars,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The economic catastrophe Governor McCrory has inflicted on North Carolina can only be  repaired by repealing this draconian law and replacing it with commonsense non-discrimination protections for LGBT people across the state.”

Gov. McCrory and state lawmakers are under increasingly intense pressure to repeal the discriminatory HB 2 in next week’s legislative session. Mayors and governors across the country are banning travel to the state, musicians are cancelling concerts, and the New York Times editorial board called North Carolina a “pioneer in bigotry.” Major film studios and corporations, from PayPal to Deutsche Bank, have stopped investments in the state because of the new law. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has even warned its LGBT citizens of the risks of traveling to North Carolina. More than 180 leading CEOs and business leaders are urging Gov. McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the deeply discriminatory law that’s bad for business and bad for North Carolina.

HB 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. In addition, the legislation prevents transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, major airports, and convention centers. Further, HB 2 revokes the ability to sue under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, religion, national origin, and sex.  Lawmakers passed the legislation in a hurried, single-day session, and Gov. McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night. The discriminatory law is already facing a legal challenge, and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said he will refuse to defend it in court.

North Carolina has the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first state in the country to enact a law attacking transgender students, even after similar proposals were rejected across the country this year — including a high-profile veto by the Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota. North Carolina school districts that comply with the law will now be in direct violation of Title IX, subjecting the school districts to massive liability and putting an estimated $4.5 billion of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as funding received by schools from other federal agencies, at risk. This section of HB 2 offers costly supposed solutions to non-existent problems, and it forces schools to choose between complying with federal law — plus doing the right thing for their students — or complying with a state law that violates students’ civil rights. Read more about how this bill puts federal funding at risk here.

While the governor’s recent executive order extends protections to some state workers, it does nothing to fix the vile and discriminatory provisions he signed into law through HB 2. Under HB 2, transgender people are prohibited from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity in public buildings, including the University of North Carolina campus and the Raleigh-Durham Airport. Cities still cannot adopt ordinances to prohibit discrimination against their residents and visitors. And HB 2 still prevents individuals from bringing discrimination suit in state courts.

www.hrc.org/blog/nba-commissioner-warns-all-star-game-will-move-from-north-carolina-if-lawma?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: April 21, 2016

TAR HEEL TRAVESTY: News from North Carolina, where more than 180 companies and an ever-increasing list of national Republicans are publicly opposing the discriminatory HB2. Meanwhile, McCrory, Berger and right-wing groups backing the bill are quadrupling down, despite mounting economic damage and companies suffering from lost business.

• NOW MORE THAN 180 STRONG, EXECUTIVES CALL FOR REPEAL OF HB2: Additional companies are urging Gov. Pat McCrory to repeal HB2, despite his recent do-nothing executive order, and failed attempt to defend the law on Meet the Press. Today, HRC and Equality NC announced that executives from Alcoa Inc., BASF Corporation, Ben & Jerry’s, Cascade Engineering, Dansko, Etsy, Green Mountain Power, Kickstarter, KPMG LLP, Live Nation Entertainment, New Belgium Brewing, New Seasons Market, Osceola Music, Patagonia, Self-Help, The Fresh Market, Vanguard, Warby Parker and Xerox Corporation have signed onto an open letter that now includes more than 180 leading CEOs and business leaders urging Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory law that was rammed through the legislature on March 23. More from HRC Blog.
• HB2 BACKERS ASK LEGISLATORS TO SIGN LOYALTY PLEDGE: Anti-equality activists in North Carolina are doubling down on their efforts ahead of the state’s upcoming legislative session by asking lawmakers who support HB2 to sign a pledge not to repeal any of its provisions. In the pledge, representatives from the NC Values Coalition, NC Family Policy Council and the Christian Action League are also demanding that lawmakers promise not to add protections for LGBT people to the state’s non-discriminatory law. As The News & Observer points out, all three of these groups came out against the Governor’s recent executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination in state offices and contracts. Senate Leader Phil Berger will likely sign the pledge, if he hasn’t already. At a press conference yesterday, he reiterated his support for the discriminatory law. More from The News & Observer.
• DONALD TRUMP AND TED CRUZ SPAR OVER NORTH CAROLINA’S HB2: Noting the damage it has caused to the state’s economy, Donald Trump said this morning that he did not support North Carolina’s HB2. Ted Cruz promptly appeared on Glenn Beck’s radio show to blast Trump and spout yet again his transphobic rhetoric. Reminder: North Carolina’s WRAL found in its poll this month that 50 percent of Tar Heel voters oppose HB2, while only 38 percent support it. HRC’s Chad Griffin reacts: “#HB2 is so extreme and so costly, even @realDonaldTrump wants it repealed.” More on WRAL’s poll.
• NORTH CAROLINA’S HOTEL INDUSTRY TAKES A HIT AFTER HB2: North Carolina continues to lose out on direct spending in the state. The National Organization for Victim Assistance, citing the discriminatory provisions of HB2, has pulled its annual training event from Charlotte. This loss will again hit North Carolina where it hurts — roughly 1,200 people were expected to attend the event, translating into about 1,516 hotel room nights in the city. The organization says it hopes that it can eventually return to Charlotte, but won’t even consider it until HB2 is repealed. More from The Charlotte Observer.
• MORE THAN 250 SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORGANIZATIONS SPEAK OUT AGAINST HB2: Today, a broad coalition of more than 250 sexual assault and domestic violence organizations released a moving statement calling for the end to the slew of discriminatory anti-transgender legislation. Led by the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, the coalition says that the anti-transgender rhetoric surrounding laws like North Carolina’s HB2 comes from a “failed understanding of what it means to be transgender.” The statement goes on to say, “As rape centers, shelters, and other service providers … we speak from experience and expertise when we state that these claims are false.” These organizations provide further proof of how harmful HB2 and measures like it are to the LGBT community. More on HRC’s blog.

NO, GOV. BRYANT, MISSISSIPPI’S HB1523 IS NOT LIKE RFRAs IN OTHER STATES: Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant is standing by HB1523, while making spurious claims that the bill only relates to marriage ceremonies and is similar to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by New York Gov. Cuomo in 2011. What Bryant seems to be forgetting is that, among other harmful provisions, Mississippi’s law includes a right to refuse to recognize a marriage, and the state of New York already has laws in place protecting LGBT people from discrimination. Bryant then goes on to throw shade on performers including Bryan Adams and Belinda Carlisle who have denounced the legislation. Maybe Gov. Bryant should spend more time reading HB1523, instead of claiming that we haven’t. More from WAPT News.

LANCE BASS WANTS TO BRING ‘LOVE’ TO HIS HOME STATE: Native Mississippian Lance Bass has continued to speak out against HB1523 — a discriminatory religious refusal bill that was signed into law on April 5. While several performers including rocker Bryan Adams and comedian Tracy Morgan have taken a stand by cancelling shows in the Hospitality State, Bass is taking a different approach. Yesterday he announced that he is working with Live Nation on a concert that will help raise money to fight the bill.  Bass said, “I want to bring my friends down here and show them that Mississippi is about love and we are the hospitality state. The world does not look at us as the hospitality state anymore.” We’ll be looking forward to this one. More from The Clarion Ledger.

NEW: PASSOVER PAMPHLET: In advance of the Passover holiday, HRC released today a guide to help LGBTQ Jews who are seeking to reconnect with their faith and build more inclusive communities. Coming Home to Judaism and To Self features the personal journeys of prominent LGBTQ faith leaders, and highlights progress that many Jewish institutions have made toward becoming more welcoming and inclusive. The guide reflects a wide spectrum of personal experiences, and the variety of Jewish responses to welcoming LGBTQ families and friends in their communities. Read the full guide.

STATE SNAPSHOT

ALABAMA HOUSE COMMITTEE ADVANCES LGBT-INCLUSIVE HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION: Yesterday the Alabama House Judiciary Committee voted to advance HB413 — commonsense legislation that would add critical new protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the state’s hate crimes statute. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Juandalynn Givan and Patricia Todd, now heads to the full Alabama House for consideration. Rep. Givan, who also introduced a same-sex marriage recognition bill this session, boldly reintroduced HB413 yesterday after it was voted down by a voice vote last week, Alabama is one of 20 states that do not have hate crimes laws explicitly protecting sexual orientation and gender identity. More from HRC’s blog.

INDIANA COUNCIL WANTS TO ADD LGBT PROTECTIONS TO CITY ORDINANCE: An advisory council in Valparaiso, Indiana, is looking to create a City Council ordinance that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The advisory voted 6 – 2 in favor of sending the recommendation for the added protections to city council. This comes after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last year, which gave business the right to deny services on the grounds of “religious liberty.” Indiana also failed to add LGBT protections to the state law this year. More from The Washington Times.

MEDICAL, HIV AND LGBT GROUPS CHALLENGING MISSOURI’S CRIMINAL HIV LAW: Yesterday, the Center for HIV Law and Policy, a national leader on HIV policy development, filed an amicus brief on behalf of Michael Johnson, a former Missouri college student sentenced to more than 30 years for allegedly violating Missouri’s HIV transmission and exposure statute. “Laws criminalizing the behaviors with near-zero risk for HIV transmission and that fail to account for effective HIV prevention measures — like condom use and PrEP — are not just misguided, they are deadly,” said HRC Senior Legislative Counsel Robin Maril at the time of the sentencing. Medical experts and advocates have continued to decry Johnson’s conviction, attributing it to a trial that was full of misinformation about HIV transmission and inaccurate stereotypes about men who have sex with men, as well as a justice system that tries, convicts and sentences Black men more harshly than other groups. (A nearly all white jury convicted Johnson after only two hours of deliberation). A number of organizations including the American Academy of HIV Medicine, Center for Constitutional Rights, Missouri AIDS Task Force and Empower Missouri and HRC have signed on to the brief.

SEATTLE LAUNCHES SAFE PLACES PROGRAM: We’ve crossed North Carolina and Mississippi off our summer vacation list, but maybe it’s time to visit the Emerald City! 98 public schools in Seattle are now designated “safe places” in Seattle, meaning that LGBTQ victims of violence or harassment can seek refuge in these locations until police arrive. The announcement, made by openly gay Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, underscores a point made by our friends at the Victory Fund: More LGBT officials in a state leads to greater LGBT protections. More from Seattle Pi.

AROUND THE WORLD

MALTA MARRIAGE: A survey conducted by The Malta Independent revealed that 61 percent of Republic of Malta citizens want to legalize same-sex marriage. This overwhelming push toward marriage equality comes just two short years after the island (located between Italy and Libya) introduced civil unions. Malta destination wedding, anyone? More from The Malta Independent.

UKRAINE PROTESTERS? MORE LIKE U-CRAZY: Yesterday, a smattering of anti-equality protesters gathered outside of parliament in Ukraine. Their plight? To protest equal rights for LGBT people. In November, Ukraine took a historic step with the passage of significant nondiscrimination legislation that provides needed workplace protections for LGBT citizens and others throughout the country. The protest yesterday dispersed, and it seems their voices of hatred cannot stop the momentum for equality. More the Kyiv Post.

READING RAINBOW

The International Business Times breakdown all the artists who’ve cancelled events in Mississippi and North Carolina over their anti-LGBT laws… Progress Illinois shares that almost 10,000 same-sex marriage licenses have been issued in Illinois’ Cook County… The Daily Mississippian highlights the latest protests against HB1523… The Los Angeles Times looks at the phenomenon of red states with blue cities… The Reno Gazette Journal celebrates the opening of Reno’s LGBT community center… and ABC News profiles Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL draftee, as he slams Missouri’s “religious objections” bill.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality, and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-april-21-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Retired Columbus Fire Captain Lana Moore named Grand Marshal of Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and Parade

www.glaad.org/blog/retired-columbus-fire-captain-lana-moore-named-grand-marshal-stonewall-columbus-pride-festival

Bruce Springsteen, Edward Norton and CrowdRise Up the Ante in Fight Against HB2

Rock star Bruce Springsteen, along with actor and CrowdRise co-founder Edward Norton, today upped the ante in support of efforts to repeal North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law, offering the winner of a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) “Stand with Bruce” contest two full-access passes to The Boss’s April 25 show in New York as Norton’s guest, and the chance to meet Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Tomorrow noon (ET) is the deadline for a chance to win this opportunity of a lifetime, which includes a trip for two to New York City, VIP passes to Springsteen’s sold-out show, and, in an offer made today by Springsteen and Norton, the opportunity to hang out backstage with Norton and his pals, and meet The Boss, who recently cancelled a concert in North Carolina to protest that state’s anti-LGBT law.

“Some things are more important than a rock show, and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them,” Springsteen said in a statement announcing the cancellation of his North Carolina show.

The winner of the contest, offered by HRC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, through its “Stand with Bruce” CrowdRise fundraiser, will also receive round-trip airfare for two to New York and two nights in a hotel. Contributions made in the contest will go towards HRC efforts to repeal HB 2.

After Springsteen canceled his North Carolina concert to protest the state’s radical and extreme new anti-LGBT law HB 2, HRC teamed up with CrowdRise and Norton to raise money to fight back against this hateful legislation, offering a chance to win tickets to the New York show. Today, Norton, inspired by Springsteen’s stance, sweetened the pot by offering the winner a chance to hang out with him backstage, and meet Bruce and his band. Every $10 donation gives donors one entry to win two flights to NYC, two nights accommodations, and VIP seats with backstage passes.  For full contest rules and to enter to win, visit www.crowdrise.com/nohate.

“This is an opportunity for our supporters to stand with Bruce and his band in the struggle against injustice, and to speak out for equality in North Carolina and beyond,” said Dane Grams, HRC Membership Director.  “Participating in this fundraiser helps elevate the voices of the thousands of citizens whose rights and fundamental dignity are being trampled by the elected leaders in North Carolina.”

Earlier this month, Springsteen said: “As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina, this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”

North Carolina’s  H.B. 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. In addition, the legislation prevents transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, major airports, and convention centers. Further, HB 2 revokes the ability to sue under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, religion, national origin, and sex.

North Carolina lawmakers passed the legislation in a hurried, single-day session, and Governor Pat McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night. The discriminatory law is already facing a legal challenge, and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said he will refuse to defend it in court.

North Carolina has the unfortunate distinction of  becoming the first state in the country to enact a law attacking transgender students, even after similar proposals were being rejected across the country — including a high-profile veto by the Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota. Earlier this week, the sponsor of a similar bill in Tennessee announced plans to pull the discriminatory legislation from consideration this year, after outcry from tens of thousands of fair-minded Tennesseans; major national child welfare, medical, and education groups; country music stars; and major business leaders. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Attorney General Slatery had also expressed concerns about the state losing millions of dollars in federal funds.

www.hrc.org/blog/in-nc-bruce-springsteen-edward-norton-and-crowdrise-up-the-ante?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

“Cisgender” and “Genderqueer” Added to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

Merriam-Webster, the leading U.S. publisher of dictionaries, added “cisgender” and “genderqueer” to its lexicon yesterday, following a similar decision by the Oxford English Dictionary last year. The new definitions are:
 

• Cisgender: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.
• Genderqueer: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female.

Members of the LGBTQ community have used these terms for years, but Merriam-Webster adding them to such its widely used resource makes them accessible to a much wider audience. While plenty of definitions of these words are available online, Merriam-Webster’s status as a linguistic authority lends legitimacy to these terms. The move helps broadens public understanding of the increasing diversity of words that people within the LGBTQ community use to describe their identities.

In the HRC Foundation’s 2012 survey of LGBTQ youth, respondents used these terms and many more — beyond lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — to describe their gender identities and sexual orientations.

Photo (c) Ane Cecilie Blichfeldt

www.hrc.org/blog/cisgender-and-genderqueer-added-to-merriam-websters-dictionary?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

North Carolina Conservatives Backtrack On Lawmaker ‘Loyalty Pledge’ To Discriminate

“I will not vote for any bill that would add the terms ‘sexual orientation,’ ‘gender identity,’ or ‘gender expression’ to HB2 or any other statute or state policy.”

The post North Carolina Conservatives Backtrack On Lawmaker ‘Loyalty Pledge’ To Discriminate appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/21/3771552/north-carolina-hb2-pledge/

180 Strong: Pressure Builds as More Executives from Major Companies Call for HB 2 Repeal

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and Equality NC, the state organization working to secure equal rights and justice for LGBT North Carolinians, announced that executives from the Alcoa Inc., BASF Corporation, Ben & Jerry’s, Cascade Engineering, Dansko, Etsy, Green Mountain Power, Kickstarter, KPMG LLP, Live Nation Entertainment, New Belgium Brewing, New Seasons Market, Osceola Music, Patagonia, Self-Help, The Fresh Market, Vanguard, Warby Parker and Xerox Corporation have signed onto an open letter that now includes more than 180 leading CEOs and business leaders urging Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory law that was rammed through the legislature on March 23rd.

A copy of the updated letter, which was first made public on Tuesday, March 29th, can be found here and below.

“Discrimination is bad for North Carolina, bad for America, and bad for business,” said HRC President Chad Griffin in announcing the letter. “These business leaders are speaking out because they know this attack on lesbian, gay, bisexual and especially transgender North Carolinians isn’t just morally wrong — it also puts their employees, customers and North Carolina’s economy at risk. For the sake of all North Carolinians, Governor McCrory and the General Assembly must act now to repeal this heinous attack on fairness and equality.”

“North Carolina’s place as a business leader in the South is based on fairness, inclusion, and diversity,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro with the original launch of the open letter. “HB 2 does not represent North Carolina values, and it weakens our competitive edge. We are glad to see our business community in the Old North State standing up against discriminatory measures like this. Governor McCrory made a mess of our state last [month], and our businesses are leading the charge to repair our state to a place of fairness.”

HRC has also invoked the North Carolina Public Records Law to gain access to any communications the Governor, the Executive Branch, or the General Assembly had among each other or with the kind of extreme anti-LGBT special interest groups who often craft and push this language. Specifically, the organizations are demanding that the government release any communications legislators or the Governor or his staff have had with the North Carolina Values Coalition or the Alliance Defending Freedom from the office of Gov. Pat McCrory, Senate leader Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore about HB 2.

Gov. Pat McCrory and state lawmakers are under increasingly intense pressure to repeal the discriminatory HB 2 in next week’s legislative session. Mayors and governors across the country are banning travel to the state, musicians are cancelling concerts, and the New York Times editorial board called North Carolina a “pioneer in bigotry.” Major film studios and corporations, from PayPal to Deutsche Bank, have stopped investments in the state because of the new law. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has even warned its LGBT citizens of the risks of traveling to North Carolina.

HB 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. In addition, the legislation prevents transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, major airports, and convention centers. Further, HB 2 revokes the ability to sue under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, religion, national origin, and sex.  Lawmakers passed the legislation in a hurried, single-day session, and Governor McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night. The discriminatory law is already facing a legal challenge, and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said he will refuse to defend it in court.

North Carolina has the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first state in the country to enact a law attacking transgender students, even after similar proposals were rejected across the country this year — including a high-profile veto by the Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota. North Carolina school districts that comply with the law will now be in direct violation of Title IX, subjecting the school districts to massive liability and putting an estimated $4.5 billion of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as funding received by schools from other federal agencies, at risk. This section of HB 2 offers costly supposed solutions to non-existent problems, and it forces schools to choose between complying with federal law — plus doing the right thing for their students — or complying with a state law that violates students’ civil rights. Read more about how this bill puts federal funding at risk here.

While the governor’s recent executive order extends protections to some state workers, it does nothing to fix the vile and discriminatory provisions he signed into law through HB 2. Under HB 2, transgender people are prohibited from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity in public buildings, including the University of North Carolina campus and the Raleigh-Durham Airport. Cities still cannot adopt ordinances to prohibit discrimination against their residents and visitors. And HB 2 still prevents individuals from bringing discrimination suit in state courts.

The full letter to Governor McCrory and list of signatories is below:

Dear Governor McCrory,

We write with concerns about legislation you signed into law last week, HB 2, which has overturned protections for LGBT people and sanctioned discrimination across North Carolina. Put simply, HB 2 is not a bill that reflects the values of our companies, of our country, or even the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians.

We are disappointed in your decision to sign this discriminatory legislation into law. The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business. This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development. We believe that HB 2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the nation. It will also diminish the state’s draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity.

Discrimination is wrong and we believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our country. As companies that pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming to all, we strongly urge you and the leadership of North Carolina’s legislature to repeal this law in the upcoming legislative session.

Sincerely,

Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Rick Anicetti, President and CEO of The Fresh Market
Karen Appleton, Senior Vice President, Box
James Avery, CEO, Adzerk
Brandee Barker, Cofounder, The Pramana Collective
Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce
Chip Bergh, President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
Michael Birch, Founder, Blab
Ed Black, President and CEO, Computer & Communications Industry Association
Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Goldman Sachs Group
Nathan Blecharczyk, Cofounder and CTO, Airbnb
Neil Blumenthal, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker
Steven R. Boal, CEO, Quotient Technology Inc.
Alex Boden, General Manager, Plum Organics
Ron Boire, CEO, Barnes and Noble
Lorna Borenstein, CEO, Grokker
Brad Brinegar, Chairman and CEO, McKinney
Michael Bronner, President, Dr. Bronner’s
Craig Bromley, President, John Hancock Financial
John Bryant, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kellogg Company
Ursula Burns, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation
Wes Bush, Chairman, CEO and President of Northrop Grumman
Mandy Cabot, Co-Founder & CEO, Dansko
Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, co-CEOs, Atlassian
Lloyd Carney, CEO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Marc Casper, President and CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
Safra Catz, CEO, Oracle
Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb
Emanuel Chirico, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PVH Corp.
Wendy Collie, CEO, New Seasons Market
Ron Conway, Founder and Co-Managing Partner, SV Angel
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Roger W. Crandall, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
Paul T. Dacier, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, EMC Corporation
Bracken P. Darrell, CEO, Logitech
Dean Debnam, Chairman and CEO, Workplace Options
Mike DeFrino, Chief Executive Officer, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Bill Demchak, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Chad Dickerson, CEO, Etsy
Alex Dimitrief, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, GE
Jack Dorsey, CEO, Square and Twitter
Lynne Doughtie, Chairman and CEO, KPMG LLP
Sandy Douglas, Executive Vice President & President, Coca-Cola North America, The Coca-Cola Company
Martin Eakes, CEO, Self-Help
David Ebersman, Cofounder and CEO, Lyra Health
Randy Fiser, CEO, American Society of Interior Designers
Blair Fleming, Head, RBC Capital Markets, U.S.
Jared Fliesler, General Partner, Matrix Partners
Vince Forlenza, Chairman, CEO and President, BD
Mark Gainey, CEO, Strava Inc.
Joe Gebbia, Cofounder and Chief Product Officer, Airbnb
Dave Gilboa, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker
Jason Goldberg, CEO, Pepo
Kristen Koh Goldstein, CEO, BackOps
Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chair-man, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
John H. Graham IV, President and CEO, American Society of Association Executives
Peter T. Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg L.P.
Logan Green, CEO, Lyft
Mike Gregoire, CEO, CA Technologies
Paul Graham, Founder, Y Combinator
David Hassell, CEO, 15Five
Charles H. Hill III, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Human Resources, Pfizer Inc.
Dick Hodgin, Co-Owner and Chief Engineer, Osceola Music Inc.
Reid Hoffman, Chairman, LinkedIn
Robert Hohman, Cofounder & CEO, Glassdoor
Lane S. Hopkins, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Capital One Financial Corporation
Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox
Stephen R. Howe, Jr., U.S. Chairman and Managing Partner, Americas Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
William H. Howle, President of U.S. Retail Banking Group, Citibank
Steve Huffman, CEO, Reddit
Chad Hurley, Cofounder, YouTube
Dave Imre, Partner and CEO, IMRE
Dev Ittycheria, President & CEO, MongoDB
Richard Jenrette, Founder, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust
Laurene Powell Jobs, President, Emerson Collective
Michael O. Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Herbalife
Kim Jordan, Founder & Executive Chair, New Belgium Brewing
Cecily Joseph, VP Corporate Responsibility and Chief Diversity Officer, Symantec Corporation
Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels International
Travis Kalanick, CEO, Uber
David Karp, Founder and CEO, Tumblr
Travis Katz, Founder and CEO, Gogobot
Fred Keller, Founder & Chairman, Cascade Engineering
Alan King, President and COO, Workplace Options
Dave King, CEO, LabCorp.
Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Alcoa Inc.
David Kohler, President & CEO, Kohler Co.
Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel                 
Joshua Kushner, Managing Partner, Thrive Capital
Michael W. Lamach, Chairman and CEO, Ingersoll-Rand plc
Stefan Larsson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation
William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Ralph Lauren, Executive Chair and Chief Creative Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation
Jeff Lawson, Founder, CEO and Chairman, Twilio
Matthew Lepore, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, BASF Corporation
Max Levchin, CEO, Affirm
Dion Lim, CEO, NextLesson
Frank Longobardi, CEO, CohnReznick LLP
Shan-lyn Ma, CEO, Zola
Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, The Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group
Vishal Makhijani, COO, Udacity
Tom Mangas, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Rose Marcario, CEO, Patagonia
Rob Marcus, Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable
Bill Maris, CEO, Google Ventures
Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo
Melody McCloskey, CEO, StyleSeat
F. William McNabb III, Chairman & CEO, Vanguard
Douglas Merrill, CEO, Zestfinance
Dyke Messinger, President and CEO, Power Curbers Inc.
Chris Meyrick, Chief Diversity Officer, American Express Company
Steve Mollenkopf, CEO, Qualcomm Inc.
Bob Moritz, US Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC
Denise Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Soup Company
Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America
Oscar Munoz, President and CEO, United Airlines
Hari Nair, Vice President and General Manager, Orbitz.com & CheapTickets.com
Christopher J. Nassetta, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Worldwide
Michael Natenshon, CEO, Marine Layer
Alexi G. Nazem, Cofounder and CEO, Nomad Health
Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder, Reddit
Laurie J. Olson, EVP, Strategy, Portfolio and Commercial Operations, Pfizer Inc.
Bob Page, Founder and CEO, Replacements, Ltd.
Doug Parker, Chairman and CEO, American Airlines
Mark Pearson, CEO, AXA Financial Inc.
Mike Pedersen, CEO and President, TD Bank, N.A.
Michelle Peluso, Strategic Advisor and former CEO, Gilt
Christine Perich, CEO, New Belgium Brewing
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google
Mark Pincus, Founder and Executive Chairman, Zynga
Mary Powell, CEO, Green Mountain Power
Hosain Rahman, CEO, Jawbone
Michael Rapino, CEO & President of Live Nation Entertainment
Bill Ready, CEO, Braintree
Evan Reece, CEO, Liftopia
Stan Reiss, General Partner, Matrix Partners
John Replogle, CEO, Seventh Generation
Walter Robb, co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
Chuck Robbins, CEO, Cisco Systems
Virginia M. Rometty, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM Corporation
Dan Rosensweig, CEO, Chegg
Patricia Rossman, Chief Diversity Officer and HR Communications, BASF Corporation
Kevin P. Ryan, Founder and Chairman, Alleycorp
Bijan Sabet, General Partner, Spark Capital
Brian Samelson, CEO & President, eMaint Enterprises, LLC
Julie Samuels, President, Engine
George A. Scangos, PhD, CEO, Biogen
Charles W. Scharf, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc.
Paula Schneider, CEO, American Apparel
Steve Schoch, CEO, Miramax
Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks
Adam Shankman, Director and Producer
Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association
David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, DNAnexus
Behshad Sheldon, President and CEO, Braeburn Pharmaceuticals
Ben Silbermann, CEO, Pinterest
Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft
Jostein Solheim, CEO, Ben & Jerry’s
Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International
David Spector, Cofounder, ThirdLove
Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO, Yelp
Yancey Strickler, CEO, Kickstarter
Jerry Stritzke, President and CEO, REI
John G. Stumpf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wells Fargo & Company
Julie Sweet, Group Chief Executive North America, Accenture
Christopher J. Swift, Chairman and CEO, The Hartford
Bret Taylor, CEO, Quip
Todd Thibodeaux, CEO, CompTIA
Brian Tippens, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
David Tisch, Managing Partner, BoxGroup
Nirav Tolia, Cofounder and CEO, Nextdoor
Kevin A. Trapani, President and CEO, The Redwood Groups
Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Paul Van Deventer, President & CEO, Meeting Professionals International
Ken Wasch, President, Software & Information Industry Association
Casey Wasserman, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman & President and CEO of the Wasserman Foundation
Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Co-Founders and Co-Chairmen, The Weinstein Company
Devin Wenig, CEO, eBay
Tim Westergren, Founder and CEO, Pandora Media, Inc.
Robert Wolfe, CEO, CrowdRise
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook

www.hrc.org/blog/180-strong-pressure-builds-as-more-executives-from-major-companies-call-for?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Mariah Carey to be honored at 27th annual #glaadawards in New York

www.glaad.org/blog/mariah-carey-be-honored-27th-annual-glaadawards-new-york