GLAAD

The NBA announced today that it will move the 2017 All-Star weekend from Charlotte, North Carolina, due to the discriminatory House Bill 2, signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory earlier this year.

“Today, the NBA stood up for its values of fairness, inclusion, and acceptance,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The league reflects the view of the majority of Americans, who know that discrimination is wrong in all forms. North Carolina must repeal the harmful HB2 law and provide protections for its LGBT citizens, or it will face a continued drain of talent, resources, and credibility.”

The league released a statement in March stating that the “discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect.” Since then, many have speculated that the NBA would change the location of the All-Star weekend if changes were not made to the law.

The dangerous North Carolina law House Bill 2 prohibits any local ordinances granting anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, it requires people to use public restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth. It was hastily passed in a 12-hour emergency session of the state legislature following Charlotte enacting a non-discrimination law that included sexual orientation and gender identity.

As a result of this law, LGBT people can now be refused employment, housing, public accommodations and other services based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Since its passage, several performers, businesses, and conferences have pulled out of the state, including Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, National Council of La Raza, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, the musical Wicked, Deutsche Bank, and PayPal. Economists have estimated millions of dollars in lost revenue.