Killer Who Sexually Assaulted, Shot Teen Lesbian Couple in Texas Sentenced to Life in Prison – VIDEO

A jury in San Patricio County, Texas has found David Malcolm Strickland guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to life in prison.

Strickland brutally shot and sexually assaulted a teenage lesbian couple in Texas back in 2012. Strickland attacked 19-year-old Mollie Olgin and 18-year-old Kristene Chapa when he came upon them at a park in Portland, Texas, not far from Corpus Christi. He blindfolded them with duct tape, sexually assaulted them, and then shot them in the head execution style, leaving them for dead.

The pair were later found by a couple who were at the park on a birdwatching trip. Olgin died of her injuries but Chapa miraculously survived and has undergone intensive therapy over the last several years. However, she has been left permanently scarred, both physically and emotionally, by the attack.

Chapa was in the courthouse when Strickland’s conviction was announced.

“I was very shocked at first. I didn’t know what to expect exactly, I was hoping that they (the jury) would see all the evidence that we had and they would go our way. (It was) very emotional.. I wanted to just burst out in tears,” Chapa told KRIS 6 news.

PREVIOUSLY: Trial Begins For Suspect In Brutal Rape, Murder Of Teen Lesbian Couple In Texas

Mollie’s sister, Megan Olgin, said of Mollie’s death, “She was only 19. She didn’t get to live her life. He took that away from her.” Olgin went on to say, “I’m just  happy that it’s finally over. The jury saw the evidence and now finally there’s justice. It doesn’t bring her back. But at least he can pay for what he did.”

More from KRIS 6: 

In closing arguments, Strickland’s attorneys tried to convince the jury that the first suspect in the case was the gunman, claiming there was more evidence indicating he was involved, not Strickland. There was also more commentary about the police interrogation video in which the defendant admitted to the crimes, then told a Texas Ranger he was making it all up. Attorneys also cast doubts on the handling of evidence in the case, highlighting that officers in Portland were fired or demoted as a result of the investigation.

The Prosecution countered with an admission that the first suspect was a strongly considered, until a letter was dropped off two years after the shootings. The letter contained details never released to the public. The fact that portions of the letter were found on Strickland’s personal computer left little doubt as to the origins. A ballistics expert also told the court that bullet fragments found at the crime scene match samples taken from Strickland’s .45 caliber Glock.

Chapa testified at Strickland’s trial and says she was able to identify him despite the fact that he was wearing a mask when he attacked her.

Chapa said she wasn’t bothered by facing Strickland in court, “Because he’s a coward.” She added,”David Strickland put his head down and wouldn’t look at me, so what does that mean to you? Did you see him in the courtroom? He didn’t do anything.”

Chapa was also able to talk to Strickland after his conviction and enumerated the many things he stole from her that night in 2012.

Previously, county prosecutors were concerned anti-gay bias could negatively impact the jury. Strickland was not charged with a hate crime.

Watch news reports from KRIS 6 below.

KRISTV.com | Continuous News Coverage | Corpus Christi

KRISTV.com | Continuous News Coverage | Corpus Christi

The post Killer Who Sexually Assaulted, Shot Teen Lesbian Couple in Texas Sentenced to Life in Prison – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Killer Who Sexually Assaulted, Shot Teen Lesbian Couple in Texas Sentenced to Life in Prison – VIDEO

Opponents of Massachusetts’ New Transgender Protections Threaten to Put Repeal on Ballot

Just before crucial protections for the transgender community are set to take effect in Massachusetts, opponents of the law are claiming they have enough signatures to put a repeal measure on the ballot in 2018.

The law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in July, extends commonsense, non-discrimination protections to transgender residents and visitors to the state. While Massachusetts state law already prohibited discrimination against transgender people in housing and employment, the new law extends these same crucial protections to public accommodations, such as access to restaurants, malls, restrooms and other facilities.

There has been overwhelming support throughout the state and the region for the law. The legislation was endorsed by every New England professional sports team, state education groups, the Boston Globe editorial board and a host of officials including, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.

The push for repeal does not stop the law from taking effect on Saturday. Healey recently issued a guidance on how businesses must implement the law. Should the law end up on the ballot, it will have already been in effect for two years before voters weigh in.

“We look forward to Saturday, when these needed and commonsense non-discrimination protections will be extended to transgender residents and visitors to the Bay State,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “Should the law proceed to the ballot in 2018 – which is still not a certainty – we hope and expect that Massachusetts voters’ strong support for fairness and equality will lead them to vote to uphold this law.”

www.hrc.org/blog/opponents-of-massachusetts-new-transgender-protections-threaten-to-put-repe?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Year One of HRC’s Groundbreaking Global Business Coalition and Engagement

Post submitted by: Deena Fidas, Director of Workplace Equality & Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global 

This spring we witnessed an unprecedented wave of support from the business community as nearly 200 anti-LGBTQ bills proliferated across a majority of the U.S. While North Carolina and other states may dominate the headlines, there is amazing work happening globally with respect to the business community promoting equality. LGBTQ equality will continue to expand globally, as evidenced by a banner year of investment and participation around the globe through HRC’s Global Business Coalition.

One year ago today, HRC President Chad Griffin stood shoulder to shoulder with Bill Clinton and business leaders at the annual Clinton Global Initiative to unveil HRC’s groundbreaking  Global Business Coalition. It was an ambitious proposition – leverage HRC’s vast network of committed businesses and global network of LGBTQ civil society leaders to further our shared goals of equality worldwide.

It’s been quite a year!

Here are the top five moments in year one of HRC’s global engagement and work with the Global Business Coalition.

Interested in being part of Year 2?   Join so you can be part of a special recognition of the Coalition during the launch of the Corporate Equality Index later this year and begin to receive exclusive briefings, resources and peer-to-peer engagement

1) HRC’s First International Launch of the Corporate Equality Index

In November 2015, HRC partnered with the U.S. Embassy, Dow and other businesses to launch our first-ever international Corporate Equality Index in Mexico City during an event held in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy and Pride Connection, a consortium of Mexican LGBT workplace advocates.  HRC has been working with these companies and other partners in Mexico City, including the American Chamber of Commerce, on how the U.S. business community can help drive positive changes for LGBTQ workplace inclusion throughout Mexico.

2) LGBTQ Roundtable at World Economic Forum

As world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland in January 2016 for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, HRC partnered with Microsoft and Skybridge Capital to host a roundtable discussion on LGBT equality.

The conversation, which included longtime LGBT ally Vice President Joe Biden, highlighted the unique influence of the private sector to create a culture of inclusion around the globe and celebrated the pro-equality efforts of the businesses represented around the table.  A full video of the roundtable can be viewed here, filmed by the Huffington Post. HRC President Chad Griffin wrote an op-ed explaining the crucial role that businesses are playing in the global equality movement. Several key partners also penned op-eds, including Alcoa, Microsoft and EY.  A full video of the roundtable can be viewed here, filmed by the Huffington Post.

3) HRC Equality Convention

In March 2016 hundreds of HRC volunteers and leaders gathered in Washington, DC, for the annual HRC Equality Convention featured plenaries on global equality. First, perspectives from two of the highest-ranking out lesbians in the corporate sector – Beth Brooke-Marciniak, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, EY and Shamina Singh, Executive Director of the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth. They were joined by HRC’s Director of the Workplace Equality Program Deena Fidas and Ty Cobb, HRC Global Director for an in-depth discussion of what it means to be out in today’s corporate climate and ways in which businesses are acting as leaders in the global equality movement. Second, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Powers delivered a heartfelt keynote speech advocating for the continued fight to end discrimination against LGBT people around the world. In addition, a new video highlighting HRC’s global equality work in the corporate sector was also premiered during the session.  

4) Pride Connection Inaugural Summit in Mexico City

The work of HRC’s partners in Mexico City continued in May 2016 with an incredible showing of support in the pride parade route. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy were joined by dozens of top-rated CEI businesses and members of HRC’s Global Business Coalition that have formed a local consortium of LGBT-inclusive companies called Pride Connection.

Newly stationed U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobson marched in the parade and mingled with parade-goers throughout the day. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has hosted the Workplace Equality Program several times and continues to further our shared goals of equality by convening corporate partners, civil society and HRC for dialogue, workshops and projects.

Following the first international launch of the Corporate Equality Index last fall in Mexico City, the Workplace Equality team returned to participate in Pride Connection’s inaugural summit on LGBT inclusion. The daylong summit brought over 200 corporate leaders and experts together for a bi-lingual sharing of the latest research and executive perspectives on the business case for LGBT inclusion.

Mary Beth Maxwell, senior vice president for programs, research and training, moderated an executive panel on the lived experiences and career insights from LGBT and allied leaders, Marianne Hasold-Schilter, executive vice president & chief administrative officer, International Banking; Andrew Wilson, chief information officer, Accenture; Tony Tenicela, global leader, Workforce Diversity and LGBT Markets, IBM; and, Louis Vega, chief of staff and global director at The Dow Chemical Company.

Deena Fidas, director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program, presented on the genesis of the Corporate Equality Index and “La Inclusión LGBT: El Caso de Negocio,” or “LGBT Inclusion: The Business Case.”

The summit comes after several years of work across HRC, the U.S. Embassy and the tremendous advocates within the Pride Connection companies, as well civil society leaders. On its own it was an achievement, but also reflects the years of partnership and expanded work ahead to move equality forward. And for more progress, check out our recent launch of HRC Equidad MX: Global Workplace Equality Program, a groundbreaking new program that will work to promote LGBTQ workplace inclusion throughout Mexico.

5) Global Equality Summit in Vietnam (Pictured above)

In June, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, HRC hosted a global equality summit in Vietnam. The summit brought together corporate allies, civil society leaders and local diplomatic community members to advance local efforts on LGBTQ workplace inclusion and business engagement.

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius welcomed the attendees during a reception at his residence. He stressed the importance of shared learning and highlighted the opportunity for collaboration between the private sector and LGBTQ civil society in the U.S. and Vietnam. Ambassador Osius is one of seven openly gay U.S. ambassadors currently serving overseas. Ahead of President Obama’s recent trip to Vietnam, PBS Newshour highlighted Osius’s family and work as ambassador.

At the summit, representatives from multinational corporations including Disney, Cargill, Citibank, KPMG and Baker McKenzie learned about current LGBTQ community initiatives in Vietnam, shared their commitment to diversity and inclusion and discussed future collaboration.

As part of the summit, HRC hosted a civil society workshop that included leaders from ICS, iSee, Viet Pride, Hanoi Queer, 6+, NexGen and PFLAG. The participants discussed models for advancing LGBTQ workplace inclusion, including HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), and shared information on ongoing Vietnamese efforts like Viet Pride’s Equal Office and Hanoi Queer’s Queer Zone. Nguyen Thanh Tam of Viet Pride, whom HRC recognized as a Global Innovator earlier in the year at our inaugural Global Innovative Advocacy Summit, was in attendance.

At the conclusion of the summit, the U.S. embassy announced a new grant to support local civil society efforts to strengthen engagement between the LGBTQ community and business. HRC will provide technical assistance and additional capacity building to support the grant recipient.

Thank you to all of our incredible partners! If your company is interested see how you can  join the Coalition ahead of the launch of the Corporate Equality Index later this year and begin to receive exclusive briefings, resources and peer-to-peer engagement. We’ve got an exciting 2017 planned!

www.hrc.org/blog/year-one-of-hrcs-groundbreaking-global-business-coalition-engagement?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

LA Times Is Not About Michael Weinsten’s California Condom Measure

At first it might seem like a good idea, right? Provide porn workers with workplace protections that would prevent them from getting sick, like how food workers have to wear gloves. But the more you hear about California’s Proposition 60, the fishier it smells. Yuck.

Now the LA Times has come out against the measure, which would require all adult film workers to wear condoms — and beyond that, would entitle any porn viewer to sue if they see a naked penis. This is insane.

But consider the source: the Proposition is backed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein, last seen denigrating PrEP. Though his organization undoubtedly does a lot of good, Michael Weinstein himself is hardly a trustworthy source when it comes to advocating for safer sex initiatives backed by actual science.

Effective measures to combat HIV and other STIs require an industry-wide approach. When Los Angeles tightened its rules, production simply moved away. The same is likely to happen if California adopts similar rules. The net impact of Weinstein’s scheme will probably just be forcing the porn industry out of the state, possibly to areas that have even fewer protections.

The measure also has unclear legal ramifications. It’s possible that cable companies and other middle-men might be on the hook for damages if they distribute porn in California with an unsheathed member. It’s really hard to say just who is exposed to liability, since it’s such a hastily written law.

Meanwhile, California’s division of OSHA is working on its own measures to protect performers. Maybe it might be a good idea to defer to the experts, rather than letting some random guy with a nonprofit make up the rules for everyone else.

www.queerty.com/la-times-not-michael-weinstens-california-condom-measure-20160929?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

More And More Guys Are Into Gay Chat Roulette

This just in: Online gay chat roulette is making a comeback. More and more guys have been logging off Grindr and switching on their webcams instead, including Mike Miksche, a writer at Daily XTra.

“A chat roulette is a one-on-one webcam chat where you’re randomly matched with a partner from around the world,” Miksche writes. “If you’re not digging them, you click the ‘Next’ button to get another guy, and this can repeat indefinitely until you find the right one–the possibilities are endless.”

Related: Antigay Priests Who Lust For Men Revealed In Secret Webcam Sessions

It’s sort of like a cross between blind dating and cruising in a park late at night, minus the threat of being caught or catching any unwanted STDs. Plus you can chat with anyone, anywhere in the world, all from the convenience of your home.

Miksche says he likes playing online gay chat roulette because it’s “personal but not too personal, and once you’re sick of someone, you just click them away.”

Sounds really great and potentially ego-crushing both at the same time.

The trend has become so popular in recent years that there are now multiple websites dedicated to it. The most popular is probably ChatRandom, which usually has between 15,000 and 20,000 users on the site at any given time and bills itself as “an amazing way to meet men or just kill some time because it’s so easy and fast to connect with other guys from all over the world.”

Related: Wholesome YouTuber’s Adult Webcam Past Just Won’t Stay In The Past

Of course, online gay chat roulette also has some drawbacks. It can be addicting, Miksche says. Like, really addicting.

“There are so many men on there that I was getting sucked into this addictive world,” Miksche writes. “I soon found myself jerking off two to three times a day in front of the cam, going through hundreds of men from all corners of the world (though I developed a preference for closeted men from rural Ontario or Quebec).”

Eventually it started affecting his work.

“I started by only logging on during my free time but soon it interfered with my work, since I work from home,” he continues. “Even after I came, I wanted to do it again, never really quenching that thirst. It felt like if I did it just one more time, I’d satisfy whatever it was I was trying to satisfy.”

Related: Doctor Explains Why You’re Addicted To Grindr

Ultimately, however, he was able to get control over his addiction. Now, he calls the whole online gay chat roulette thing a “brave new world of perversion, with all these portholes leading to the largest peep show on earth.”

What do you think? Have you ever played the webcam field? Would you? Sound off in the comments section below…

www.queerty.com/guys-gay-chat-roulette-20160929?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Actor Nico Tortorella and Instastud Kyle Krieger Talk About Their Relationship – LISTEN

Actor Nico Tortorella and hairstylist/Instastud Kyle Krieger open up about their relationship in a new episode of Tortorella’s podcast, The Love Bomb.

Tortorella, who stars on the TV series Younger (which had its season premiere last night), opens the podcast by declaring that “gay is normal, gay is love, and anybody who thinks otherwise can go f*ck themselves.” However, Tortorella does not identify as gay. He’s sexually fluid, meaning he occasionally dates boys.

“So sometimes I date boys, not because I’m gay necessarily but because I’m confident. Because I’m self-aware,” he explains.

In Tortorella’s “conversation with a man I love named Kyle,” Tortorella and Krieger talk publicly for the first time about their relationship. They discuss how they met on Instagram, became pen pals of sorts, and then began a 6 month romantic affair.

“It was pretty much game on from the beginning…it just worked from the beginning,” Tortorella explains.

PREVIOUSLY: Nico Tortorella Shares His Most Revealing Pickup Line with Kyle Krieger – WATCH

Kriegers says that his relationship with Tortorella was the first time he had experienced love in a long while. “I was just worried that those feelings had disappeared for me,” he says.

And though the two are no longer together, they remain close.

Krieger talked about the podcast on his Instagram, writing,

After our breakup I wanted to just hide forever but @nicotortorella asked me to be on his Podcast #TheLoveBomb so I did. It was a healing experience to say the least. We talked about so much.. social media, character flaws, insecurity, dating, falling in and out of love, sex, sobriety, and a lot of other things I never thought I’d say publicly.

As for Tortorella’s sexuality, he told Elle magazine:

Look, a lot of people don’t think that the way that I live my life is a real thing, that it exists, that having a broad spectrum of sexual orientation is even possible. I get told all the time on social media. God forbid you open up a Reddit article. But it comes with it, you know? I’m not trying to redefine sexuality or humanity or say that my answer is right and yours is wrong. I’m just happy with who I am. I am driven by love and I have been in love with a handful of different people, men and women. It’s like, if you go to a bookstore and you know exactly what kind of book you want, you have to look it up in the system because it’s in a specific section of the bookstore. I fit into a handful of sections in the bookstore.

RELATED: Nico Tortorella Speaks Out About Reaction to News of His Sexual ‘Fluidity’

Listen to Tortorella and Krieger talk about their relationship, below.

And check out some more Instagrams the pair have shared.

[Top photo via Instagram]

The post Actor Nico Tortorella and Instastud Kyle Krieger Talk About Their Relationship – LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

Actor Nico Tortorella and Instastud Kyle Krieger Talk About Their Relationship – LISTEN

Florida Woman Wins Right to Punch Martin Shkreli in the Deplorable Face

Loathsome former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, who made headlines last fall after jacking the price of an AIDS drug by 5400%, this week auctioned off the right to punch him in the face.

Shkreli held the auction to raise money for treatment for a friend’s 6-year-old son who is battling cancer (maybe his heart isn’t 100% coal?).

I will auction one slap/punch in the face to benefit my friend Mike who passed away & leaves behind a young son who survived cancer. DM bids

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 26, 2016

A woman named Katie from Florida won the auction. Shkreli offered to broadcast it on VICE media if they were willing.

Katie from Florida @like_ether_ has agreed to donate $50,000 & I am matching! Congrats to the Kulich family. Mike, I will never forget you.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 28, 2016

Katie will be permitted to “repeatedly pummel me in the face” as requested. Bidding is over. Congrats to her and the Kulichs! @like_ether_

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 28, 2016

In September 2015, Shkreli, a former hedge fund manager, hiked the price of Daraprim, used to help (among others) AIDS patients with compromised immune systems, from $13.50 a tablet to $750 per tablet. Turing announced it had raised $90 million from Shkreli and other investors in its first round of financing on the same day as the pricejacking.

Shkreli promised to drop the price of Daraprim shortly after public outcry but his solution pleased few.

And despite pledging to cut its price, Turing Pharmaceuticals announced it would only provide discounts of up to 50 percent, for hospitals. Shkreli later said he regretted that he hadn’t charged even more for the drug.

In February, Shkreli appeared before the House Oversight Committee for a hearing on drug pricing. He was escorted from the room after refusing to speak, asserting his Fifth Amendment rights.

The post Florida Woman Wins Right to Punch Martin Shkreli in the Deplorable Face appeared first on Towleroad.

Florida Woman Wins Right to Punch Martin Shkreli in the Deplorable Face

Seth Meyers Moderated the Second Presidential Debate, Asked Trump, ‘How’s Your Penis?’ – WATCH

You may have missed it, but last night Seth Meyers moderated the second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And the candidates were surprisingly blunt and honest.

Among the topics Meyers covered: the economic fallout from Bill Clinton stopping eating fast food, what the first 100 days of a Trump administration would be like, how Trump gets his face that color, what Hillary thinks of Trump’s hairstyle, the possibility of lifelike humanoid robots living among us, the resurrection of Steve Jobs, and of course, the current state of Donald Trump’s penis.

Watch, below.

The post Seth Meyers Moderated the Second Presidential Debate, Asked Trump, ‘How’s Your Penis?’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Seth Meyers Moderated the Second Presidential Debate, Asked Trump, ‘How’s Your Penis?’ – WATCH

HRC Announces Endorsement of Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona for U.S. Senate

Today HRC announced its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick in her race for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat.

“Ann Kirkpatrick has been a strong supporter in our fight for equal rights and protections for all,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs. “Whether it’s her long-time support for nationwide marriage equality or the Equality Act, or fighting against attempts in Congress to write discrimination into federal law, Ann has a proven record of fighting to ensure LGBTQ people can live free from fear of discrimination. Ann is the person we need to fight to pass the Equality Act and help us finally move toward full federal equality.”

Kirkpatrick spoke out this year against Republican leadership in the U.S. House who flipped enough votes to defeat an LGBT non-discrimination measure, calling it a “shameful, cowardly day in Congress.” Senator McCain has refused to support the Equality Act, comprehensive legislation to protect LGBT people from discrimination, and opposes marriage equality.

Last week, HRC President Chad Griffin led a volunteer phone bank in Phoenix with HRC supporters to help turn out support for Hillary Clinton and Kirkpatrick.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-announces-endorsement-of-ann-kirkpatrick-of-arizona-for-u.s.-senate?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

ACC Moves Championship Game to Orlando After McCrory & NC General Assembly Refuse to Repeal HB2

Today, HRC and Equality NC, the statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for LGBTQ North Carolinians, responded to the decision by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to move the league’s 2016 football championship game to Orlando, Florida, due to North Carolina’s deeply discriminatory HB2 law.

“What will it take for Governor McCrory and state legislative leaders to stop holding the people and economy of North Carolina hostage?” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The ACC, based in Greensboro, has now joined the growing list of organizations moving games and other events out of state in order to protect fans, students, and employees from Governor McCrory’s discriminatory HB2 law. The ACC’s decision to move the 2016 football championship to Orlando — a city with a perfect 100 point Municipal Equality Index score that has also come together in the wake of a tragic attack on the LGBTQ community — has sent an especially strong message to Governor McCrory and his allies. The days of attacking LGBTQ people for political gain are over.”

“It has been almost 200 days since Governor Pat McCrory and his legislative allies have pushed through the worst anti-LGBTQ bill in the nation without consideration of harm to the state,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro. “Every day that goes by, LGBTQ North Carolinians are at risk of continued discrimination, and North Carolina’s economy will continue to suffer. Losing the ACC championship game to Orlando is saddening, but not surprising. Orlando has comprehensive non-discrimination protections that make it a welcoming place for all fans and players. Governor McCrory needs to stop playing politics and do what’s best for North Carolina. He needs to repeal HB2 and focus on protecting all North Carolinians from discrimination. Only then will we win back the NCAA, ACC, and other vital events.”

The ACC’s decision comes after Gov. McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly refused — once again — to repeal the state’s vile and dangerous HB2 law. In a new interview out today, House Speaker Tim Moore admitted that the General Assembly never intended to repeal HB2 — even if the city of Charlotte repealed its city ordinance protecting LGBTQ people. Speaker Moore and others had previously attempted to pressure Charlotte’s city council into repealing its ordinance as a way to saddle the city with political blame for HB2.

The city of Orlando earned a perfect 100 point score on the 2015 HRC Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index, and it has fully inclusive, non-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ residents and visitors — even more comprehensive protections than those Charlotte passed in February. Recognizing the importance of creating a positive and conducive environment for business, Charlotte city leaders joined 100 other cities with similar ordinances, and in response, Gov. McCrory and state lawmakers doubled down on discrimination by ramming HB2 into law.

In making the decision to move championship games out of North Carolina, the ACC first announced on September 14, 2016: “As members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC Council of Presidents reaffirmed our collective commitment to uphold the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Every one of our 15 universities is strongly committed to these values and therefore, we will continue to host ACC Championships at campus sites. We believe North Carolina House Bill 2 is inconsistent with these values, and as a result, we will relocate all neutral site championships for the 2016-17 academic year. All locations will be announced in the future from the conference office.”

The ACC announcement follows the NCAA’s decision to stand up for LGBTQ equality by moving all 2016-2017 championship events out of the state of North Carolina due to HB2. Citing the hostile environment created by the anti-LGBTQ law, the NBA also previously announced it is moving the 2017 All-Star Game out of the state, costing North Carolina an estimated $100 million in All-Star Game related profits.

Despite widespread opposition to HB2, Governor McCrory and the General Assembly have been unwilling to even consider repealing the full substance of the discriminatory law, including its ban on transgender people accessing restrooms consistent with their gender identity in government offices and schools, and its removal of municipalities’ ability to pass LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination laws and minimum wage ordinances.

www.hrc.org/blog/acc-moves-championship-game-to-orlando-after-mccrory-nc-ga?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed