The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2 or HB2, was a

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

passed in March 2016 and signed into law by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

. The bill amended state law to preempt any anti-discrimination ordinances passed by local communities and, controversially, compelled schools and state and local government facilities containing single-gender washrooms to only allow people of the corresponding sex as listed on their birth certificate to use them; it also gave the state exclusive rights to determine the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

. The bathroom portion of the bill generated immense criticism for preventing transgender people who did not or could not alter their birth certificates from using the restroom consistent with their

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the i ...

(at the time in North Carolina, only people who undergo

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and alle ...

could change the sex on their birth certificates, and outside jurisdictions have different rules, some more restrictive), and for changing the definition of

sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...

in the state's anti-discrimination law to "the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person's birth certificate." The removal of municipal anti-discrimination protections was also criticized, as state-level protections do not explicitly cover discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Opponents of the bill described it as the most

anti-LGBT Anti-LGBT rhetoric comprises themes, catchphrases, and slogans that have been used against homosexuality or other non-heterosexual sexual orientations in order to demean lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. They range from t ...

legislation in the United States, while proponents of HB2 called it "common sense" legislation. HB2 was met with widespread protests: state, county and city governments across the United States forbade their employees from non-essential travel to North Carolina; numerous corporations and firms curbed plans to hold events and create jobs in the state, and many performers canceled performances in North Carolina to

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict som ...

the state; North Carolina's economy lost over $400 million in investments and jobs. The bill was also criticized by several religious organizations, and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

denounced it and called for its repeal. McCrory ultimately lost his bid for

re-election The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

in 2016 to Democratic

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...

, a vocal critic of the law. The portion of the law regarding bathroom use was repealed on March 30, 2017, with the passage of

House Bill 142 (Session 2017 of the North Carolina General Assembly) House Bill 142 (HB 142) is a 2017 law that was enacted in the state of North Carolina that repealed House Bill 2. The bill states that all "state agencies, boards, offices, departments, institutions, branches of government, including The University ...

. The remainder of HB2, which barred local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances, was repealed on December 1, 2020 by a

sunset provision In public policy, a sunset provision or sunset clause is a measure within a statute, regulation or other law that provides that the law shall cease to have effect after a specific date, unless further legislative action is taken to extend the law ...

, which was inserted below the partial repeal in House Bill 142, passed on March 30, 2017. In response to the full repeal on December 1, 2020, many local governments across North Carolina almost immediately enacted local laws to protect LGBT people from discrimination and other local governments are considering passing similar local laws.

Background and passage

Charlotte Ordinance 7056

On February 22, 2016, the

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

passed by a 7-4 vote the Ordinance 7056, a non-discrimination ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

in public accommodations or by passenger

vehicles for hire A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing private transport or shared transport for a fee, in which passengers are generally free to choose their points or approximate points of origin and destination, unlike public transport, and which they ...

or city contractors. The Council had debated a similar ordinance in 2015, which failed by a 6-5 vote because it did not include full protection of transgender people; the council first considered extending non-discrimination protection to LGBT people in 1992. The ordinance was to take effect on April 1, 2016.

North Carolina House Bill 2

On March 22, 2016, upon request from three-fifths of all the members of the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

and the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

, its President and Speaker, respectively, called the General Assembly into

special session In a legislature, a special session (also extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by confli ...

for the following day. That day, March 23, the

passed House Bill 2, with 82 in favor and 26 against and 11 excused absences.Tal Kopan and Eugene Scott,
North Carolina governor signs controversial transgender bill
', March 24, 2016, CNN About three hours later, the

also passed the bill, with 32 in favor, 6 excused absences, and all 11 Democrats walking out in protest and not voting. That evening, it was signed by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, taking a total of 11 hours and 10 minutes to become a law. All Senate and House Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with the exceptions of

Charles Jeter Charles Jeter, is an American politician and business executive. He is known for having founded Team Racing Auto Circuit (TRAC). He also is the President of Intermodal FCL, Inc. A Republican, he represented District 92 in the North Carolina Hous ...

Chuck McGrady Chuck McGrady (born March 6, 1953) is a former Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He represented the 117th district from 2011 until 2020. Life and career McGrady was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned a B.A. fro ...

, Gary Pendleton, Bob Rucho, and

Dan Soucek Daniel Frederick Chittenden Soucek (born April 22, 1969) is a Republican former member of the North Carolina Senate, who represented the State's 45th district. During his time in office, the 45th District included Alexander, Ashe, Watauga and ...

, who were excused absent. Eleven House Democrats voted for the bill; Larry M. Bell, William D. Brisson,

Elmer Floyd Elmer Floyd (born April 20, 1948) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He represented the 43rd district (containing parts of Cumberland County) from 2009 until 2021. Floyd is African-American. During the ...

Ken Goodman Kenneth Goodman (December 23, 1927 - March 12, 2020) was Professor Emeritus, Language Reading and Culture, at the University of Arizona. He is best known for developing the theory underlying the literacy philosophy of whole language. Biography ...

, Charles Graham, George Graham, Howard Hunter III, William O. Richardson, Garland Pierce, Brad Salmon, and

Michael H. Wray Michael H. Wray (born April 6, 1967) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Wray has represented the 27th district (including constituents in Halifax and Northampton counties) since 2005. Wray is also a small b ...

. Senate and House Democrats Gale Adcock,

Becky Carney Rebecca Ann "Becky" Carney (born December 25, 1944) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives representing the 102nd district since 2003. Her district includes constituents in Mecklenburg county. Carney is a homemaker ...

Beverly M. Earle Beverly Miller Earle (born December 30, 1943) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, having represented the 101st district, including constituents in Mecklenburg County from 1995 to 2019. A retiree from Ch ...

, Susan C. Fisher,

Paul Luebke Paul Luebke (January 18, 1946 – October 29, 2016) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the 30th House District, which includes constituents in Durham County. A professor of Sociology at the Univers ...

Joe Sam Queen Joe Sam Queen (born June 18, 1950) is a North Carolina politician and architect. He has served in both the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Representatives. Political career Queen represented the state's 47th Senate distr ...

, Evelyn Terry,

Ken Waddell Kenneth Neil Waddell (born September 11, 1953) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Waddell represented the 46th district (including constituents in Columbus, Robeson, and Bladen counties) from 2013 until ...

, Joyce Waddell,

Angela Bryant Angela R. Bryant (born December 9, 1951) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission (a full-time position). From 2007 ...

, Joel D. M. Ford, and Jane W. Smith were excused absent. The independent representative

Paul Tine Paul N. Tine (born December 20, 1971) was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, serving since 2013. Tine is also an insurance agent. Elected as a Democrat in 2012 and 2014, Tine left that party in January 2015, changed his regi ...

, a member of the Republican caucus, voted against the bill. Supporters of House Bill 2 said the Charlotte ordinance was sloppily written and overreaching, and that in their view its wording essentially did away with single-sex bathrooms. Representative

Dan Bishop James Daniel Bishop (born July 1, 1964) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019, when the district was numbered as the 9th. A Republican, his district includes south-central Mecklenburg, Union, ...

, the bill's sponsor, cited this as grounds for the state to override local ordinances. Call volume to the

Trans Lifeline Trans Lifeline is a peer support and crisis hotline 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving transgender people by offering phone support and microgrants. It is the first transgender crisis hotline to exist in the United States as well as Canada. I ...

transgender suicide-prevention hotline doubled after the passage of the bill. Some media noted, in connection to HB2, a study finding that denying transgender people access to restrooms of their gender increases the rate at which they attempt suicide.

Enforcement

House Bill 2 does not contain any guidance on how it is supposed to be enforced, and does not name any specific crimes or penalties.Samantha Michaels
We Asked Cops How They Plan to Enforce North Carolina's Bathroom Law
Mother Jones, April 7, 2016 Police departments in

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, Wilmington, and

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

have expressed a lack of clarity on how the law should be enforced and an unwillingness to devote police resources to monitor bathrooms. A number of departments indicated a willingness to respond to complaints of violations, but said none had been received. Republican State Representative

, a co-sponsor of the law, acknowledged that "there are no enforcement provisions or penalties in HB2." Democratic State Representative Rodney Moore was more emphatic, saying: "There is absolutely no way to enforce this law, as it relates to the enforcement of the bathroom provisions. It is an utterly ridiculous law."

Economic impact

Although the full economic impact of House Bill 2 on North Carolina's economy is largely unrealized and difficult to fully quantify, some early economic consequences have been noted. As of September 2016, rough estimates put North Carolina's full economic loss due to the law at around 0.1% of the state's

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...

. The

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

estimated that House Bill 2 would cost the state US$3.76 billion over twelve years. Some companies have halted or are reconsidering their plans to expand to North Carolina as a result of the passage of the law: *

PayPal PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers, and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper ...

announced they would no longer move forward with their expansion into Charlotte, which would have created over 400 jobs with a US$20 million annual payroll impact. *

Red Ventures Red Ventures is an American media company, which owns and operates brands such as Lonely Planet, CNET, ZDNet, The Points Guy, Healthline and Bankrate. Red Ventures focuses on sites that dispense news, advice, and reviews. The company's corporat ...

is re-evaluating plans to expand into North Carolina and bring 500 people in 2016 and thousands after that. * German global banking and financial services company

Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...

announced plans to halt a planned expansion of their Cary, NC offices which would have employed 250 people. * Real estate research company

CoStar Group CoStar Group, Inc. is a Washington, DC-based provider of information, analytics and marketing services to the commercial property industry in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain. Founded in 1987 by Andrew C. ...

decided against a 730-job expansion into Charlotte, with House Bill 2 playing a deciding role. On April 14, 2016, the San Diego-based electronics audio company 1MORE USA Inc. announced it will suspend its sales to North Carolina. During an appearance by McCrory on

Meet the Press ''Meet the Press'' is a weekly American television news/interview program broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though the current format bears little resemblance to the debut episode on November 6, 1947. ' ...

on April 17, 2016, host

Chuck Todd Charles David Todd (born April 8, 1972) is an American television journalist who is the 12th and current moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. He also hosts ''Meet the Press Now'', its daily edition on NBC News Now and is the Political Directo ...

said that, by his conservative estimate, North Carolina had lost at least US$39.7 million in revenue as a result of House Bill 2. On April 22, 2016,

Time Warner Cable News North Carolina Spectrum News 1 North Carolina is an American cable news television channel owned by Charter Communications, as an affiliate of its Spectrum News slate of regional news channels. The channel broadcasts rolling newscasts 24-hours a day, seven days ...

estimated that House Bill 2 had to date cost North Carolina more than 1750 jobs and more than $77 million of investments and visitor spending, including: * $14.3 million in Buncombe County * $46.2 million and 500 jobs in Charlotte * $5 million in Greensboro * $3.2 million in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill On May 24, 2016, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce estimated that Mecklenburg County had lost $285 million and 1,300 jobs from the loss of PayPal and the estimated 908 spinoff jobs they estimated that it would have produced.

Tourism and hospitality

Government travel bans to North Carolina

As of December 2, 2016, the states of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, the counties of Cuyahoga (Ohio), Dane (Wisconsin), Franklin (Ohio), Los Angeles (California), Montgomery (Maryland), Multnomah (Oregon), and Summit (Ohio), and the cities of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Portland (Maine) Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropoli ...

Portland (Oregon) Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous c ...

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

Royal Oak The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. C ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, San Jose, Santa Fe,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Shoreline (Washington),

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

West Palm Beach West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

, and

Wilton Manors Wilton Manors is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,426. Wilton Manors is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to 6,166,488 people at the 2020 census. Histor ...

, have issued travel bans in response to House Bill 2, barring government employees from non-essential travel to North Carolina. On March 28, 2016,

High Point Market The High Point Market (formerly the International Home Furnishings Market and the Southern Furniture Market), held in High Point, North Carolina, is the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, with over 10 million square feet ...

, the largest home furnishings

trade show A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and cu ...

in the world and the largest economic event in North Carolina, issued a press release expressing concern for "hundreds and perhaps thousands" of customers boycotting their biannual event in April as a result of the law but according to numbers released on May 27, 2016 by the High Point Market, registered attendees only dipped slightly. Community Transportation Association of America canceled plans to bring 1,000 people to Wake County in June 2018 for a weeklong event, deciding instead to hold its event in Baltimore. Event organizers planned to book a total of 2,511 room nights and spend an estimated $1.7 million. Organizers of a planned "Record Store Day" canceled a three-day event for September. The Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated this event would have generated $191,000 in economic spending. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority said that 29 groups have expressed concerns about their plans to host events in Charlotte, risking an estimated 103,000 hotel-nights for the city. The Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau said four events had been cancelled in the Raleigh area due to House Bill 2, causing a loss of US$700,000 in revenue. Hotel chain

Westin Westin Hotels & Resorts is an American upscale hotel chain owned by Marriott International. , the Westin Brand has 226 properties with 82,608 rooms in multiple countries in addition to 58 hotels with 15,741 rooms in the pipeline. History Wester ...

said that 12 groups have inquired about cancelling events booked at Westin's Charlotte hotel, including the

Southern Sociological Society The Southern Sociological Society (SSS) was established in 1935 by a group of colleagues in Knoxville, Tennessee in an organizational meeting April 20–21. This meeting emerged from an earlier gathering of Southern sociologists at the American So ...

, for which they will lose US$180,000 to US$4 million. In early April, a police conference in

Duck, North Carolina Duck is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 746. During the peak vacation season, starting after Memorial Day, the population increases to over 20,000. Duck is the northernmost incorpo ...

on human trafficking prevention was canceled due to a travel ban on North Carolina issued by the mayor of Washington, D.C. On April 9, 2016, the head of the

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), commonly branded as Metro, LA Metro, and L.A. Metro, is the state agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angele ...

announced that he has barred agency employees from travelling to Charlotte, North Carolina for a conference. Metro Transit announced it would also cancel plans to send employees to the same conference.

Central Ohio Transit Authority The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA ) is a public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area, Ohio, Columbus metropolitan area, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It operates Transit bus, fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtr ...

followed suit a few days later. On April 25, 2016, The

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

announced that it will move its South Atlantic Region conference which was originally scheduled to be held Sep 29 through Oct 2 at the Wilmington Convention Center in

Wilmington, NC Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is th ...

. The four-day business conference accommodates between 1000 and 1200 people, including architects, exhibitors, and speakers from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In its statement, the AIA called for "the judicious and timely repeal of HB 2 in North Carolina as soon as the General Assembly convenes". On April 25, 2016, the

W. K. Kellogg Foundation The W. K. Kellogg Foundation was founded in June 1930 as the W. K. Kellogg Child Welfare Foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg. In 1934, Kellogg donated more than $66 million in Kellogg's, Kellogg Company stock and other inve ...

announced that they had cancelled plans to host a conference at

The Omni Grove Park Inn The Omni Grove Park is a historical resort hotel on the western-facing slope of Sunset Mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Asheville, North Carolina. It has been visited by various presidents of the United States and many other notable ...

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, at a loss of US$1.5 million to the state's economy. On January 16, 2017, the

SIGMOD SIGMOD is the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Management of Data, which specializes in large-scale data management problems and databases. The annual ACM SIGMOD Conference, which began in 1975, is considered one of ...

Executive Committee decided to move the ACM

/ PODS 2017 joint conference out of

to a new location.

Film industry

Several filming projects have been canceled or are being reconsidered.

Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...

canceled plans to film the pilot for its Hulu series ''Crushed'' in

, which would have involved hiring about 100 workers. The company continued to move ahead with shooting a musical remake of

Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman ...

in Henderson and Jackson counties.

A&E Networks A&E Networks (stylized as A+E NETWORKS) is an American multinational broadcasting company that is a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its General Entertainment Content division. The company o ...

announced that they would finish production of the

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

miniseries ''Six'', but would not consider North Carolina for any new productions.

21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, f ...

also announced their opposition to the law and that they will "reconsider future filming commitments in North Carolina if the Act is not repealed". Turner Broadcasting announced that it would finish production of '' Good Behavior'' in

but would reevaluate doing further business in North Carolina if the law is not repealed. Director

Rob Reiner Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performanc ...

called for a boycott of North Carolina by the entertainment industry and said he would no longer film in the state. Documentary film producer

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

announced that his movie ''

Where to Invade Next ''Where to Invade Next'' is a 2015 American documentary film written and directed by Michael Moore. The film, in the style of a travelogue, has Moore spending time in countries such as Italy, France, Finland, Tunisia, Slovenia, Germany, and Portu ...

'' would not be licensed to theaters in North Carolina.

Sports

The

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

and

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

X Games The X Games are an annual extreme sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, ...

have spoken against the law, reconsidering plans to host future sporting events in North Carolina.

Commissioner Adam Silver informed North Carolina's governor and legislature that "it would be problematic for us to move forward with our (2017)

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

if there is not a change in the law", and when no changes were made, on July 21, 2016, the

2017 NBA All-Star Game The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 19, 2017, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2016–17 season. It was the 66th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the Smooth ...

was pulled out of Charlotte. Some estimates put the potential economic loss of the state at over $100 million. The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was the first major sporting event in the United States to be relocated for political reasons since 1990. The U.S. Golf Association stated that they are "committed to ensuring an inclusive environment at all of our championships" and would continue to "monitor and assess" the situation in North Carolina. The

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

and

PNC Arena PNC Arena (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly the RBC Center) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena seats 18,680 for ice hockey and 19,722 for basketball, including 61 suites, 13 loge boxes an ...

said they "are devoted to providing a welcoming and respectful environment for all fans. We stand against all forms of discrimination."

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

, owner of the NBA's

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

and a North Carolina native, spoke against House Bill 2 and said the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are "opposed to discrimination in any form."

Brian France Brian Zachary France (born August 2, 1962) is an American businessman and the former CEO and chairman of NASCAR. He served in the post from 2003 to 2018, following his grandfather (and NASCAR co-founder) Bill France Sr. and father Bill Jr., in ...

, chairman and CEO of

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

, said that NASCAR also opposes the law. On September 12, 2016, the

(the United States' primary governing body for collegiate athletics) stripped North Carolina of hosting rights for seven upcoming tournaments and championships held by the association, including early round games of the 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The NCAA argued that HB2 made it "challenging to guarantee that host communities can help deliver

n inclusive atmosphere N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

. The

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

stated it was "committed to its mission of equality and diversity" and "in conjunction with our schools, we will continue to monitor all current events to ensure an inclusive and nondiscriminatory environment for all." On September 14, 2016, the ACC's council of presidents voted to move all neutral-site sports championships during the 2016–17 year, including the

ACC Football Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...

, out of North Carolina. On September 30, 2016, the Board of Directors for the CIAA (the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association), decided to move 8 Conference Championships that were based in North Carolina. The CIAA predominantly consists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and issued a statement saying, "The CIAA's transition, beginning with the relocation of 8 championships, is the first step in demonstrating that the conference does not support laws which prevent communities from effectively protecting student-athletes and fans."

Music and performances

Several musicians and entertainers have canceled shows in North Carolina in response to the law or are boycotting the state until it is repealed, including

Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influe ...

, former

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

drummer

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...

, and

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

canceled a performance in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, scheduled for April 10, expressing solidarity for the North Carolina transgender community; management for the

Greensboro Coliseum Complex The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum (the first and biggest building on the site), is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venu ...

estimated that it lost $100,000 in concession and parking revenue.

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

lead singer

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...

explained their decision to cancel concerts in NC, saying:

Musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

composer

Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...

will not allow ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...

'' to be produced in North Carolina.

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...

cancelled their performances of

Ovo ''OVO'' (also released as ''OVO: The Millennium Show'') is a soundtrack album by English singer-songwriter and musician Peter Gabriel and his eleventh album overall. It was released on 12 June 2000 by Real World Records as the soundtrack to ...

in Greensboro and Charlotte, and announced the cancellation of Toruk's performances in Raleigh, saying they are "opposed to discrimination in any form. The new HB2 legislation passed in North Carolina is an important regression to ensuring human rights for all." Other musicians and entertainers have criticized the law but chosen not to cancel shows or boycott.

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

turned her concert in

into an event "to build public support to repeal HB2," and committed to donating profits from the show to Equality North Carolina.

Mumford and Sons Mumford may refer to: *Amazing Mumford, a Muppet character on ''Sesame Street'' * ''Mumford'' (film), a 1999 American comedy-drama film *Mumford procedure, also called distal clavicle excision or distal clavicle resection, an orthopedic surgical pro ...

performed in Charlotte but donated some of the proceeds to an LGBT organization.

Laura Jane Grace Laura Jane Grace (born Thomas James Gabel; November 8, 1980) is an American musician best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!. In addition to Against Me!, Grace fronts the band Laura ...

, a transgender rock musician and lead singer of the punk rock band

Against Me! Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...

, stated that the band would not be boycotting North Carolina but would donate money from their concert to Time Out Youth, an LGBT advocacy group.

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

did not cancel her concert in Raleigh, but posted a statement on her website promoting equality and calling for fans to donate to

Equality NC Equality NC (ENC) is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in North Carolina and is the oldest statewide LGBT equality organization in the United States. Structure Equality ...

. She also sent out a photo of herself wearing a popular t-shirt being sold by

. The band

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

went ahead and performed in the state, but spoke out against HB2 at their concerts.

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

strongly criticized the law but said "I am not going to let stupidity or bigotry trump fun for my loyal fans this year."

Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes were an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson. The band began its career touring ...

said they opposed the law but "We couldn't just say No, we're not showing up and I'm sorry your government is behaving this way."

Brandi Carlile Brandi Marie Carlile ( ; born June 1, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and producer whose music spans many genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. , Carlile has released seven studio albums. She has ...

also spoke out against the law but chose not to cancel shows in Wilkesboro and Greensboro.

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

announced they would donate a portion of the proceeds from their concert scheduled in Charlotte, to five LGBT groups in an effort to repeal House Bill 2.

The Lumineers The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...

announced they would protest House Bill 2 by providing gender-neutral bathrooms at their concert in Cary, North Carolina.

Noah Bendix-Balgley Noah Bendix-Balgley (born 1984) is an American European classical music, classical violinist. He is currently First Concertmaster with the Berliner Philharmoniker. He served as concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 2011 to 2014. ...

, the classical violinist and First Concertmaster with the

Berliner Philharmoniker The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

, spoke against House Bill 2 while performing at a concert with the

North Carolina Symphony The North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is an American orchestra based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with sixty-six full-time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the Opera Com ...

UNC Memorial Hall Memorial Hall was initially built in 1883 to be used for events like commencement ceremonies and the first ever basketball games at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The architect, Samuel Sloan, designed the building to be larger t ...

in Chapel Hill. He dedicated the encore to members of the LGBT community "who currently do not feel safe or welcome in the state of North Carolina".

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...

was set to cancel her concert in Charlotte, but decided to continue with it and donate half of the proceeds from

Revival Tour The Revival Tour was the second solo concert tour by American singer Selena Gomez, in support of her second solo studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The tour began in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 6, 2016, and concluded ...

Charlotte to an LGBT Charity based in North Carolina, saying "I learned from an early age that everyone should be treated equally" and "I've been reassured the venue I'm performing in has gender-neutral bathrooms. I want everyone coming to my show to feel welcome."

Visual and literary arts

Author and poet

Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...

canceled a book talk in Asheville because of House Bill 2. Author

David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries.” He published his first co ...

decided not to cancel a sold-out event of over 1,000 people at the

University of North Carolina at Wilmington The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...

, instead deciding to donate the proceeds to Equality NC. Eric Shiner, director of

The Andy Warhol Museum The Andy Warhol Museum is located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist. The museum holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archive ...

, canceled a lecture he was scheduled to give to a Master of Fine Arts class at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, saying he regretted having to cancel but could not go as a director of a museum who represents an iconic gay artist.

Legal challenges

NC Attorney General does not defend the bill

North Carolina Attorney General The Attorney General of North Carolina is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The attorney general is a constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in legal matters, supplying other state offici ...

and Democratic gubernatorial candidate

said that House Bill 2 was unconstitutional and that he would not defend it in court, but would defend state agencies against it.Anne Blythe,
NC attorney general refuses to defend state from HB2 legal challenge
', March 29, 2016, News & Observer McCrory criticized his decision. However, Cooper has been accused of opportunism for having used HB2 and the corporate boycott surrounding it as leverage to boost his bid for governor against the then incumbent Governor McCrory.

Private litigation

On March 28, 2016, the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

, the ACLU of North Carolina,

Lambda Legal Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as people living with HIV/ AIDS ( PWAs) through i ...

, and

Equality North Carolina Equality NC (ENC) is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in North Carolina and is the oldest statewide LGBT equality organization in the United States. Structure Equality NC ...

filed a lawsuit challenging House Bill 2 in the

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina The United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (in case citations, M.D.N.C.) is a United States district court with jurisdiction over 24 counties in the center of North Carolina. It consists of five divisions with a h ...

(''Carcaño v. McCrory''). The groups argue that the law violates the

Equal Protection The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equa ...

and

Due Process clause In United States constitutional law, a Due Process Clause is found in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, which prohibits arbitrary deprivation of "life, liberty, or property" by the government except as ...

s of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

, specifically in that it "discriminates on the basis of sex and sexual orientation and is an invasion of privacy for transgender people." On April 21, 2016, Beverly Newell and Kelly Trent, a lesbian couple from Charlotte, were added as plaintiffs after they were denied service by a fertility clinic in North Carolina. The same day,

Hunter Schafer Hunter Schafer (born December 31, 1998) is an American model, actress, and LGBTQ rights activist. For her activism against the HB2, ''Teen Vogue'' listed Schafer on its "21 Under 21" list in 2017. She made her acting debut as transgender high sc ...

, a transgender high school student at the

University of North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governo ...

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

, was added as another plaintiff in the case. On April 19, 2016, a three-judge panel of the

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maryland ...

ruled in favor of transgender high school student Gavin Grimm in ''G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board''. The ruling upheld the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

's interpretation that Title IX's prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex should be read broadly to include discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Although House Bill 2 was not at issue in Grimm's lawsuit, which originated in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, the ruling has controlling status in the Fourth Circuit, which includes North Carolina. President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate Phil Berger reacted negatively to the Fourth Circuit decision: The Gloucester County School Board moved for rehearing

en banc In law, an en banc session (; French for "in bench"; also known as ''in banc'', ''in banco'' or ''in bank'') is a session in which a case is heard before all the judges of a court (before the entire bench) rather than by one judge or a smaller ...

, but the Fourth Circuit declined to rehear the case, making its decision final, barring a grant of

certiorari In law, ''certiorari'' is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. ''Certiorari'' comes from the name of an English prerogative writ, issued by a superior court to direct that the record of ...

by the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. On October 28, 2016, the

announced that it had granted

as to two of the three questions presented in a Petition for

Writ of Certiorari In law, ''certiorari'' is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. ''Certiorari'' comes from the name of an English prerogative writ, issued by a superior court to direct that the record of ...

, meaning that final disposition of the case will come from the

. On May 11, the conservative

Alliance Defending Freedom Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF, formerly Alliance Defense Fund) is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group that works to curtail rights for LGBTQ people; expand Christian practices within public schools and in government; and ...

filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Eastern North Carolina on behalf of unnamed students and parents, seeking to overturn the federal government's interpretation of federal law and to bar it from withholding federal funds. On May 16, an ACLU lawyer appealed to U.S. District Judge

Thomas D. Schroeder Thomas David Schroeder (born May 26, 1959) is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Education and career Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Schroeder received a Bachelor of ...

to suspend the law until its constitutionality can be fully evaluated. On August 26, Schroeder granted a

preliminary injunction An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in par ...

, preventing the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

from enforcing the restroom provisions of the bill.

Litigation between North Carolina and the United States

On May 4, 2016, the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

notified McCrory, the

North Carolina Department of Public Safety The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) is an umbrella agency that carries out many of the state's law enforcement, emergency response and homeland security functions. The department was created in 1977 as the Department of Crime Co ...

, and the

University of North Carolina system The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sys ...

that House Bill 2 violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and gave McCrory until May 9, 2016, to confirm that North Carolina would not implement or comply with the bill.Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Letter to Gov. Pat McCrory
May 4, 2016 Failure to comply could result in a halt of billions of dollars in federal funding to the state, including $1.4 billion for the

UNC system The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sys ...

and $800 million for federally backed student loans. McCrory and North Carolina lawmakers said the Department of Justice's intervention was orchestrated by the

Obama Administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...

, but

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

Press Secretary A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage. Duti ...

Josh Earnest Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest
''

Tim Moore filed a second lawsuit against the United States, both in the Eastern District of North Carolina, seeking declaratory judgment that House Bill 2 was not discriminatory. McCrory's lawsuit, which he later withdrew on September 16, 2016, to avoid the "substantial costs" of litigating two similar lawsuits, called the Justice Department's position a "radical reinterpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act". Later on May 9, the Department of Justice filed suit against North Carolina in the Middle District of North Carolina, asking the court to stop the state from discriminating against transgender people, saying it was in violation of Title VII and the Violence Against Women Act. Attorney General

Loretta Lynch Loretta Elizabeth Lynch (born May 21, 1959) is an American lawyer who served as the 83rd attorney general of the United States from 2015 to 2017. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to succeed Eric Holder and previously served as the Uni ...

described the lawsuit:

Margaret Spellings Margaret M. LaMontagne Spellings (née Dudar; born November 30, 1957) is an American government and non-profit executive who has been serving as President and CEO of Texas 2036 since 2019. She previously served as the eighth United States secreta ...

, the president of the

which is one of the defendants in the federal government's lawsuit, told the Department of Justice that the University "has not taken any steps to enforce ouse Bill 2on its campuses" and that it "has and will continue to comply with the requirements of Title IX, VAWA, and Title VII", but also "has an obligation to adhere to laws duly enacted by the State". The letter has been variously described as showing UNC intends to follow House Bill 2, "def

ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...

the governor and legislature and

aying Aying is a municipality in the district of Munich in Bavaria, Germany. It is known for the Ayinger Brewery Ayinger Brewery ( ; german: Brauerei Aying) is in Aying, Bavaria, Germany, about 25 km south of Munich. Ayinger beers are exported ...

it intends to act 'in compliance with federal law'", or "walk nga fine line — assuring federal officials that

t will T, or t, is the twentieth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabe ...

follow federal law, while not refusing to follow HB2". On May 26, Spellings confirmed that UNC will not take any steps to enforce HB2.

Efforts to repeal or modify

Executive Order 93

On April 12, 2016, Governor McCrory signed Executive Order 93, officially called Executive Order No. 93 to Protect Privacy and Equality, regarding House Bill 2.Executive Order No. 93 To Protect Privacy and Equality
". '' Office of Governor

''. April 12, 2016.McCrory, Pat.
Affirming and Improving North Carolina's Commitment to Privacy and Equality
. ''

Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

''. April 12, 2016.McCrory issues executive order on House Bill 2, adds protections for gays and transgender people
". ''

WNCN WNCN (channel 17) is a television station licensed to Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States, serving the Research Triangle area as an affiliate of CBS. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on Front Street in north Ral ...

'' (

Goldsboro, North Carolina Goldsboro, originally Goldsborough, is a city and the county seat of Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,657 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropol ...

). Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. April 12, 2016. The

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of th ...

requires all state agencies to serve all people equally when providing government services; reaffirms that private employers may, but are not required to, establish anti-discrimination policies; and reaffirms that private employers may determine their own policies regarding use of bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers based on their own policies. This includes when a private entity rents governmental facilities. In the executive order, McCrory also supported new legislation restoring a cause of action in state courts for victims of illegal employment discrimination. Although McCrory promoted the executive order as a compromise in response to nationwide backlash, House Bill 2 remained largely intact, and companies that spoke out against the law reaffirmed their opposition.

House Bill 946 and Senate Bill 784

On April 25, 2016, the first day back in session since House Bill 2 was passed in special session, Democratic legislators in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

introduced House Bill 946, officially called An Act to Repeal House Bill 2 of the 2016 Second Extra Session and to Appropriate Funds to the Human Relations Commission. The bill was filed by

Darren Jackson Darren Jackson (born 25 July 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played predominantly as a forward. Jackson played for several clubs in Scotland and England, including Newcastle United, Dundee United, Hibernian, Celtic and ...

, Graig Meyer,

Susi Hamilton Susi Hamilton was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. Hamilton also owns the consulting firm, Hamilton Planning, which specializes in city planning and downtown e ...

, and

Grier Martin David Grier Martin III (born October 21, 1968) is an American politician and attorney serving as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the state's 34th district. His district includes the northern part of Ral ...

and co-sponsored by Ed Hanes,

Rosa Gill Rosa U. Gill (born June 5, 1943) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. She has represented the 33rd district (including constituents in eastern Wake County) since her initial appointment in 2009. Career A longti ...

, Yvonne Holley, and

Chris Sgro Christopher Michael Sgro is an American politician and political strategist best known for his work advocating for LGBT rights in North Carolina. He is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives and former Executive Director ...

. The bill currently has no support from Republicans, who control both chambers of the legislature, and a committee hearing has not yet been arranged or secured with chamber leaders. Two days later, the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

filed the identical Senate Bill 784. The bill was sponsored by Senators

Terry Van Duyn Teresa Van Duyn (born September 21, 1951) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. She represented District 49, which encompasses most of Asheville and Buncombe County, North Carolina from 2014 until 2021. Early life and educ ...

, Jeff Jackson, and Mike Woodard, and assigned to the Senate's Ways and Means Committee.

House Bill 169

In June 2016, WBTV obtained a copy of draft legislation to issue 'certificates of sex reassignment' to individuals who had

but were born in states that do not issue updated birth certificates following that procedure. EqualityNC opined that the draft did "nothing to restore the common sense protections passed by the Charlotte City Council earlier this year", and it did not pass. In House Bill 169, the state made only one revision, restoring residents' right to bring claims of discrimination in state courts.

Mediation by the private sector

On September 16, 2016, after working to broker a compromise with state lawmakers, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association issued a press release stating that the General Assembly would call a special session to repeal House Bill 2 if the Charlotte City Council voted to repeal Ordinance 7056 during their session on September 19. The NCRLA and the Charlotte Chamber called for both laws to be promptly repealed. On September 19, 2016, Mayor Roberts said that the city was "not prepared" to discuss repealing Ordinance 7056 at the city council meeting scheduled for later that day. No motion was made for a repeal.

Mediation by Governor-elect Cooper

After lobbying by Governor-elect Roy Cooper, the Charlotte City Council agreed to the aforementioned arrangement, and voted 10-0 on December 19 for a repeal of the public accommodations provisions of Ordinance 7056, conditioned on the state repealing HB2 by December 31. McCrory then called a special legislative session for the purpose of repealing HB2; however, the NC Senate ultimately defeated the proposal after lawmakers learned Charlotte had not repealed the entire ordinance, even though Charlotte City Council voted again December 21 to correct the situation, also removing the requirement that the legislature also act.

Partial repeal

On March 23, 2017, the NCAA warned that North Carolina would not be selected to host championship games through 2022 unless House Bill 2 was repealed. The Association's statement, made on Twitter and disseminated to the media, prompted state lawmakers to seriously consider repealing parts of the law. The next week, on March 28, the NCAA set a 48-hour deadline for the state to repeal the bill. On March 30, 2017, a bill to eliminate HB2's bathroom regulations but retain other parts of the law was passed by the North Carolina legislature and signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper. The partial repeal was criticized by both conservatives and equal-rights groups. Representative

labeled the bill as HB 2.0, saying the bill "merely doubles down on discrimination." Sarah Gillooly, policy director of the NC ACLU, called it a "fake repeal", and the ACLU said it "would keep anti-LGBT provisions of B2in place and continue to single out and target transgender people" and that they would continue to fight it in court. The

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...

and

also opposed the bill. On July 23, 2019, federal judge Thomas D. Schroeder approved the 2017 settlement, clarifying that transgender people have the right to use restrooms in state-owned buildings that match their gender identities.

Full repeal

The remainder of HB2, which barred local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances, was repealed on December 1, 2020 by a

, which was inserted below the partial repeal in House Bill 142, passed on March 30, 2017. A narrow provision remains on the books, which gives the North Carolina General Assembly the sole authority to pass any future regulations related to government-owned bathrooms. In response to the full repeal on December 1, 2020, many local governments across North Carolina almost immediately enacted local laws to protect LGBT people from discrimination and other local governments are considering passing similar local laws.

Popular opinion

Polls by

Public Policy Polling Public Policy Polling (PPP) is an American polling firm affiliated with the Democratic Party. Founded in 2001 by businessman Dean Debnam, the firm is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Debnam currently serves as president and CEO of PPP, while To ...

and others have consistently found that a majority of North Carolinians say HB2 has negatively impacted the state's economy and public image, and that more Carolinians say they oppose the law than support it. ( /www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2015/PPP_Release_NC_42516.pdf survey data ( /www.wral.com/asset/news/state/nccapitol/2016/04/12/15637752/PollPrint.pdf survey data In polls, residents of rural communities are more supportive of the law than those in urban areas. One poll in April 2016 and another in May found that 56% of North Carolinians supported the provision barring transgender people from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. Another poll in May found that 50% want to see it repealed, while 38% think it should remain law. A pair of polls in April and May found that most North Carolinians, including a majority of women, feel the law has not made the state any safer. By August 2016, only 30% of North Carolinians still supported HB2, and in December 2016, Public Policy Polling reported that the widespread unpopularity of HB2 was given as the dominant reason for Republican Governor

's defeat at the hands of

that year, the first time an incumbent North Carolina Governor had lost re-election since the incumbent Governor

Charles Manly Charles Manly (May 13, 1795May 1, 1871) was a lawyer who served as the 31st governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1849 to 1851. He was the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office. After one two-year term, Manly was defea ...

was defeated in 1850.

Criticism

Public demonstrations

There have been numerous rallies against House Bill 2, including in Raleigh: on March 24, hundreds of people marched through Raleigh to the

North Carolina Executive Mansion The North Carolina Executive Mansion (also referred to as the North Carolina Governor's Mansion) is the official residence of the governor of North Carolina and their family. Building began in the year 1883 and it was designed by architects Samu ...

, and on April 1 people protested outside the Legislative Building. There have also been protests in

(on March 25),

(on March 25, 300 protesters rallied with Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, director of Campaign for Southern Equality),

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

(on March 16), and Hendersonville (on April 15). On April 3, 2016, over 700 people gathered at a rally in Greensboro to protest the law. There have been demonstrations and protest actions at

Salem College Salem College is a private women's liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1772 as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and ultimately added the college. It is the oldest female educational establ ...

(on April 12),

High Point University High Point University is a private university in High Point, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The university was founded as High Point College in 1924, and it became High Point University in October 1991. HPU of ...

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

in Greenville (on March 31) the

University of North Carolina at Asheville The University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville, UNCA, or simply Asheville) is a public liberal arts university in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. UNC Asheville is the designated liberal arts institution in the University of N ...

, and the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. UNCG, like all members of the UNC system, is a stand-al ...

, where the protest included a rally inside an administrative building and a march across campus to block a city intersection at Tate and Spring Garden streets in the College Hill Historic District. Another protest was held in

on April 13, 2016, on the campus of

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...

. There was also a rally at the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...

on April 7. Students from

Warren Wilson College Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a requisite course of study, work an on-campus ...

went to Raleigh to protest the legislation. Students at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

and the

University of North Carolina at Pembroke The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) is a public university in Pembroke, North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is a master's level degree-granting university and part of the University of North Carolina system. Its history i ...

and at Wilmington held bathroom sit-ins. In early April 2016 more than 100 students at

Appalachian State University Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...

held a rally and week long protest against the bill in the university's administrative building. Students blocked traffic in downtown Boone as part of the protest. The group Appalachian State Student Power demanded that the University Chancellor Sheri Everts and UNC System President Margaret Spellings to publicly denounce the law. On March 29, 2016, hundreds of people protesting against House Bill 2 shut down Franklin Street in

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...

for several hours. On April 13, a rally organized by the Queer and Trans People of Color Collective in

Uptown Charlotte Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...

stopped traffic for over twenty minutes. Some protests have been part of the

Moral Mondays Moral Mondays are protests that originated in North Carolina, United States and emerged elsewhere in the United States. Led by religious progressives, the leaders of the protesters sought to restore "morality" in the public sphere. Protests began ...

civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...

movement, including one on April 25, 2016, when protesters were forced to leave their seats in the viewing gallery after loudly protesting as the House adjourned for the day. By the end of the day, fifty-four protesters were arrested: eighteen who had been arrested earlier and thirty-six more who refused to leave, including Mara Keisling, executive director of the

National Center for Transgender Equality The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is a nonprofit social equality organization founded in 2003 by transgender activist Mara Keisling in Washington, D.C. The organization works primarily in the areas of policy advocacy and media ...

. Protesters had stood outside House Speaker Tim Moore's office and on the ground floor of the Legislative Building. 180,000 signed petitions against House Bill 2 were brought to the legislative building during the Moral Monday protests. Also on April 1, students at the

held a protest. A rally was held later that evening in Wilmington blocking traffic at the intersections of Oleander and College Roads. At an open house at the governor's western residence in Asheville on May 14, 2016 protesters from Tranzmission, Black Lives Matter, and JustEconomics of Western North Carolina gathered to show opposition to House Bill 2.

Political

Local government

In response to the restrictions on local governance and LGBT protections, numerous North Carolina cities and municipalities passed resolutions criticizing House Bill 2.

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

Nags Head Nag's Head or Nags Head may refer to: ;In London * Nag's Head, London, a locality in Holloway ** Nag's Head Market, a street market * Nag's Head, Covent Garden, a pub ;Elsewhere in the United Kingdom * Nag's Head Island, Abingdon-on-Thames * ...

Duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

, Wilmington, and the state capital of

passed resolutions calling for the law to be repealed. Additionally

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

called for HB2's repeal.

, Hillsborough, Greenville, and

also passed resolutions opposing the bill. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer called the bill an overreach and an inappropriate reaction to Charlotte's non-discrimination ordinance.

Buncombe County Buncombe County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is A ...

, Chatham County, Durham County, and

Wake County Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

also approved measures expressing opposition to the law.

Carrboro Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census.Margaret Spellings Margaret M. LaMontagne Spellings (née Dudar; born November 30, 1957) is an American government and non-profit executive who has been serving as President and CEO of Texas 2036 since 2019. She previously served as the eighth United States secreta ...

, the recently appointed president of the

, has said that while public universities are obligated to follow the law, they do not endorse it. She later expressed concern that House Bill 2 might discourage prospective faculty and students from coming to North Carolina, and said she hoped the law would be changed.

Federal government

On March 28, 2016, the

condemned the law, and on April 22,

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, speaking in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in response to Britain's reaction to the law, called for House Bill 2 to be repealed. On April 18, 2016, the

United States Commission on Civil Rights The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) is a bipartisan, independent commission of the United States federal government, created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 during the Eisenhower administration, that is charged with the responsibility for ...

issued a statement stating that House Bill 2 "jeopardizes not only the dignity, but also the actual physical safety, of transgender people."

Presidential candidates

Some

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

2016 U.S. presidential candidates have publicly stated they would not have signed House Bill 2, including Ohio Governor

John Kasich John Richard Kasich Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician, author, and television news host who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and as the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, Kasic ...

and businessman

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

. Kasich defended his position against the law by saying, "Why do we have to write a law every time we turn around in this country? Can't we figure out just how to get along a little bit better and respect one another?" Speaking about the economic impact that the law has had on North Carolina, Trump said, "North Carolina did something that was very strong and they're paying a big price and there's a lot of problems"; and, when asked which restroom a transgender person should use in one of his

buildings A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and funct ...

, he said that they should use whichever one they're most comfortable using. After he became the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, Trump altered his stance and supported the law on July 6 in

. Later on, he emphasized that the states should be allowed to decide on the matter, despite his personal stance. The Democratic 2016 presidential candidates, former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

, both condemned the law.

Appointment of Chris Sgro

Approximately two weeks after the passage of House Bill 2,

, the leader of

, the largest LGBT advocacy organization in North Carolina, was selected to fill a vacancy in the

, making him the only openly LGBT member of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

at the time. Pursuant to state law, the local Guilford County Democratic Party Executive Committee had the responsibility for filling the vacancy.

quickly became the most vocal opponent of House Bill 2 in the General Assembly, often publicly clashing with the governor.

Commercial

Large American corporations have been a driving force behind the movement to repeal House Bill 2. Hundreds of companies have publicly announced their opposition to the law. On March 29, 2016, an open letter signed by 80 corporate CEOs against House Bill 2 was sent to Governor McCrory. The law has cost the state more than 1750 jobs and more than $77 million-worth of investments and visitor spending. Eleven lobbyists say legislators have told them that if they or the businesses they represent criticize House Bill 2, House and Senate leaders won't move legislation they want and may pass laws targeting them; legislators said they did not know anything about that. On April 19, 2016, in response to bathroom bills in North Carolina and other states,

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

announced that their customers and employees may use the bathroom or fitting room associated with their gender identity.

Religious groups

Christian

Numerous Christian institutions and clerical leaders have criticized the law and called for its repeal, including the leadership of the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

, congregations of the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

, the

North Carolina Synod The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America consists of 65 synods which are configured into nine regional offices. Each of the synods of the ELCA elects one bishop and three synod council officers at its Synod Assembly to oversee the spiritual and ...

of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...

, and a group of fourteen pastors of the

Metropolitan Community Church The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), also known as the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), is an international LGBT-affirming mainline Protestant Christian denomination. There are 222 member congregations in 37 ...

. Four

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Episcopal Church; Anne Hodges-Copple, G. Porter Taylor, Robert Skirving and

Peter James Lee Peter James Lee (11 May 1938 - 2 July 2022) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church. Ministry Lee, a former newspaper reporter, was ordained deacon in 1967 and priest in 1968. He served as deacon at St John's Cathedral in Jacksonville, ...

said it discriminated against the LGBT community, workers, and the poor. The Episcopal bishops called on North Carolina Episcopalians "to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being", and called on the legislature to repeal the law, saying "we encourage our leaders to listen to the experiences of LGBT citizens and to seek to understand their lives and circumstances." The

Alliance of Baptists The Alliance of Baptists is a Baptist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The headquarters is in Raleigh, North Carolina. History The Alliance of Baptists was formed in 1987 as the Southern Baptist Alliance by liberal individ ...

also encouraged participation in a day of action against the law.

William Barber II William J. Barber II (born August 30, 1963) is an American Protestant minister and social activist. He is the president and senior lecturer at Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. ...

, a

Disciples of Christ The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

minister and board member of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

, also called for repeal, as did John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...

, who said "I cannot know what the struggle is like to claim your identity in a culture like ours, where even the power of the state is brought to bear to enact discriminatory laws that embolden hatred, vitriol, and ignorance ... My outrage over this cannot be contained; I have no desire to contain it." On April 25, 2016, the incumbent

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s in North Carolina,

Hope Morgan Ward Hope Morgan Ward (born September 18, 1951) is a bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected and consecrated to the episcopacy in 2004. She has served as the Bishop of North Carolina since 2012. Biography Hope Morgan Ward was raised on the Mo ...

and

Larry M. Goodpaster Larry Martin Goodpaster (born April 23, 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee) is a bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 2000. Birth and family Goodpaster was born April 23, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee. He married Deborah Cox on September 26, 19 ...

, and the retired bishops Charlene P. Kammerer,

William Henry Willimon William Henry Willimon (born May 15, 1946) is a retired American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church who served the North Alabama Conference for eight years. He is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of th ...

, C. P. Minnick, Jr., Thomas Stockton, Lawrence McCleskey, and Ray Chamberlain, called for the repeal of House Bill 2, saying: The United Methodist Women have also taken a stand against HB2 and are planning to move their Mission u training program in May 2017 from Charlotte, NC to Jacksonville, Florida. They are planning to have an action against HB2 in Charlotte in January 2017 during its Leadership Development Days training program. Harriet Jane Olson, Chief Executive Officer of United Methodist Women said

Michael Francis Burbidge Michael Francis Burbidge (born June 16, 1957) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia since 2016. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philad ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan A ...

, criticized House Bill 2 and called for a replacement of the legislation with "another remedy" that will "defend human dignity; avoid any form of bigotry; respect religious liberty and the convictions of religious institutions; work for the common good; and be discussed in a peaceful and respectful manner." The North Carolina Council of Churches stated that House Bill 2 is "making discrimination easier in NC" and "puts us on the wrong side of the prophets who preached justice and mercy, calling on us to be better than our fears and to transcend our biases." On April 24, 2016, the council, EqualityNC and the

Equality Federation Equality Federation is a social justice, advocacy and capacity building organization serving and supporting state-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations in the United States. History In 1997, a group of stat ...

brought Christian ethicist

David P. Gushee David P. Gushee is a Christian ethicist and public intellectual. Work and membership David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and formerly the Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer Univers ...

, Vice President of the

American Academy of Religion The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholarly method, scholars in the List of academic disciplines, field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a profes ...

and President-Elect of the Society of Christian Ethics, to speak in

about the ethical implications of the law for people of faith.

Jewish

Forty-five rabbis signed a letter expressing "deep dismay" with House Bill 2. The letter stated, The Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill and Carolina Jews for Justice spoke out against the legislation. On April 10, 2016, Rabbi Stephen Roberts wrote in the ''

Watauga Democrat The ''Watauga Democrat'' is a weekly newspaper published in Boone, North Carolina. It was first published in 1888 to share news about the local Democrat Party, and today chronicles general local news in Watauga County. The ''Watauga Democrat'' ...

'' that Christians and Jews alike should not support House Bill 2. On April 26, 2016, North Carolina Jewish leaders held a news conference shortly before a Passover prayer service with lawmakers in the

North Carolina State Legislative Building The North Carolina State Legislative Building was opened in 1963 and is the current meeting place of the North Carolina General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Location The Legislative building is located in ...

in Raleigh. While speaking at the conference, Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or said, "HB2 targets one of the most vulnerable groups in our society and eviscerates their ability to participate actively in community."

Others

The Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute said they were saddened that House Bill 2 "places lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender North Carolinians at risk of physical, emotional, and legal damage. It also threatens the safety and comfort of LGBT visitors to North Carolina." The Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, an interfaith organization, announced they would financially support the plaintiffs in the ''Carcaño v. McCrory'' lawsuit challenging House Bill 2. The

Wiccan Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...

communities of North Carolina spoke out against the law, saying it was discriminatory.

Press

The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', ''

News & Record The ''News & Record'' is an American, English language newspaper with the largest circulation serving Guilford County, North Carolina, and the surrounding region. It is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and produces local sections for Greensbo ...

'', ''

The News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the '' Charlotte Observer''). The paper has be ...

'', ''

Asheville Citizen-Times The ''Asheville Citizen-Times'' is an American, English language daily newspaper of Asheville, North Carolina. It was formed in 1991 as a result of a merger of the morning ''Asheville Citizen'' and the afternoon ''Asheville Times''. It is owned ...

'', and ''

The Fayetteville Observer ''The Fayetteville Observer'' is an American English-language daily newspaper published in Fayetteville, North Carolina. As the oldest North Carolina newspaper, the paper was founded in 1816 as the ''Carolina Observer''. It was locally owned by ...

'' condemned House Bill 2. On September 15, 2016, during a lunch event in Charlotte where McCrory was expected to take questions from reporters, McCrory avoided questions about House Bill 2 by instead responding to questions provided to him by his staff. ''The Charlotte Observer'' reported that three of the questions were incorrectly attributed to them. When a reporter for ''The Charlotte Observer'' tried to ask McCrory a question afterwards, he responded by saying, "We've got three ''Observer'' questions answered already. I think you guys dominate the news enough."

International

United Kingdom

On April 21, 2016,

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...

issued a travel advisory directed at their LGBT citizens visiting the United States, specifically North Carolina and Mississippi. In it, they said, "The U.S. is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country. LGBT travellers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi." The

called it "both frightening and embarrassing that one of our nation's staunchest allies has warned its citizens of the risks" of travel. In a parliamentary answer to

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Cat Smith Catherine Jane Smith (born 16 June 1985) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lancaster and Fleetwood since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she was a member of the shadow cabinets of Jeremy Corbyn and Ke ...

, Foreign Office Minister

Hugo Swire Hugo George William Swire, Baron Swire, (born 30 November 1959) is a British politician. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Devon from 2001 until 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he has had several ministerial roles ...

said the British government had expressed concerns to the authorities in North Carolina; stating, "Our Consul General in

raised our concerns with the North Carolina Commerce Secretary on 19 April ... This Government is opposed to all forms of discrimination. We are committed to ensuring that all LGBT people are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment."

European Union

On May 12, 2016, the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

criticized North Carolina for House Bill 2, as well as Mississippi for the

Religious Liberty Accommodations Act Mississippi House Bill 1523 (H.B. 1523), also called the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act or Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, is 2016 state legislation passed in direct response to federal rulings in support ...

and Tennessee for SB 1556. The official statement read:

Advocacy groups

On April 21, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, a coalition of over two hundred national, state, and local organizations against

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

and

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

against women, issued a statement opposing anti-transgender initiatives, writing that "discriminating against transgender people does nothing to decrease the risk of sexual assault" and noting that of the 18 states and more than 200 municipalities with anti-discrimination laws "protecting transgender people's access to facilities consistent with the gender they live every day," none "have seen a rise in sexual violence or other public safety issues due to nondiscrimination laws."

Public figures and others

Many celebrities and other public figures publicly denounced House Bill 2, including

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Montel Williams Montel Brian Anthony Williams (born July 3, 1956) is an American television host, actor and motivational speaker. He is known for hosting the long-running daytime tabloid talk show ''The Montel Williams Show'', which ran in syndication from 1991 ...

Laverne Cox Laverne Cox (born May 29, 1972) is an American actress and LGBT advocate. She rose to prominence with her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a Pri ...

Janet Mock Janet Mock (born March 10, 1983) is an American writer, television host, director, producer and transgender rights activist. Her debut book, the memoir '' Redefining Realness'', became a ''New York Times'' bestseller. She is a contributing edit ...

Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner; October 28, 1949) is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a kne ...

Chris Sacca Christopher Sacca (born May 12, 1975) is an American venture investor, company advisor, entrepreneur, and lawyer. He is the proprietor of Lowercase Capital, a venture capital fund in the United States that has invested in seed and early-stage te ...

George Takei George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the televi ...

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

, and

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...

. A number of arts organizations and events also called for its repeal. The Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg stated that "HB2 puts our cultural sector and its role in attracting a talented workforce, creative individuals, major exhibitions and performances, educators, tourists and other cultural opportunities at risk."

Support

Political

McCrory applauded the passage of House Bill 2, referring to transgender people by their

assigned sex Sex assignment (sometimes known as gender assignment) is the discernment of an infant's sex at or before birth. A relative, midwife, nurse or physician inspects the external genitalia when the baby is delivered and, in more than 99.95% of birt ...

and saying the ordinance approved by Charlotte's city council had "defied common sense," despite four months earlier stating that "transgender identity is a complex issue and is best handled with reason and compassion at the local level." McCrory says news outlets critical of House Bill 2 are "distorting the truth" and "smearing hestate." Defending House Bill 2 during a press conference, McCrory said the law did "not

ake Ake (or Aké in Spanish orthography) is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It's located in the municipality of Tixkokob, in the Mexican state of Yucatán; 40 km (25 mi) east of Mérida, Yucatán. The name ...

away any rights," but his interpretation was widely disputed. Surry County Board of Commissioners voted to sever ties with PayPal after the company pulled out of Charlotte over HB2 at their May 16, 2016 meeting. Davidson County Board of Commissioners, Randolph County Board of Commissioners, Ashe County Board of Commissioners, Cape Carteret Board of Commissioners, Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, Stokes County Board of Commissioners, as well as Indian Beach Board of Commissioners, and Old Fort Board of Aldermen, have all signed resolutions of support for HB2.

Presidential candidates

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

and Republican

presidential candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...

supported the bill, bringing it up frequently during campaign appearances. On July 6, 2016 at a rally in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

, Republican

front-runner

was asked by ''

The News and Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the ''Charlotte Observer''). The paper has bee ...

'' if he stood by his previous rejection of House Bill 2. Trump altered his stance, saying, "The state, they know what's going on, they see what's happening, and generally speaking I'm with the state on things like this. I've spoken with your governor, I've spoken with a lot of different people, and I'm going with the state."

Religious organizations

On March 28, 2016, two religious organizations, the NC Values Coalition and the Keep NC Safe Coalition, released a list of forty-one businesses which the organizations said had signed a letter of support for House Bill 2. The organizations said their list included over 300 businesses but could only publicly name forty-one of them because others were afraid of retaliation. The only national company listed,

Hanesbrands Hanesbrands Inc. is an American multinational clothing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It employs 65,300 people internationally. On September 6, 2006, the company and several brands were spun off by the Sara Lee Corporation. Han ...

, was subsequently removed after it was learned a single employee had listed the company without permission. At least one other company has been removed from the public list for similar reasons. On May 24, 2016, forty preachers, most of whom were African-American, rallied at the State Capitol to defend House Bill 2, saying they did not view LGBT rights as civil rights. A contingent of 80 pastors and faith leaders representing North Carolina's Hispanic communities, rallied in support of HB2 at the state legislative building on June 14, 2016. On August 10, 2016, the Church of God in Christ announced they still plan to hold their 2017 annual "Auxiliary in Ministry" or AIM conference despite HB2. The 2016 Conference accounted for $14 million in tourism to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Public demonstrations

On April 25, 2016, hundreds of supporters gathered at the Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh. Speakers focused on the section of the law that requires people to use bathrooms in public facilities that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate and quoted biblical scripture in defense of the law. The crowd was encouraged to visit legislators' offices in show of support and to boycott

, which had recently announced that employees and customers could use the restroom and fitting room that correspond to their gender identity. The organizations held a series of prayer vigils in Greensboro, Raleigh, Charlotte, Havelock, Greenville, New Bern, Fayetteville, Marshville and Jacksonville to show public support for HB2.

External links

Full text of Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act

Full text of Executive Order No. 93

Full text of House Bill 946

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act 2016 controversies in the United States 2016 in LGBT history LGBT history in North Carolina LGBT law in the United States LGBT-related controversies in the United States North Carolina statutes Political controversies in the United States Politics of North Carolina Restrooms in the United States Sex segregation Transgender law in the United States

Background and passage

Charlotte Ordinance 7056

North Carolina House Bill 2

Enforcement

Economic impact

Tourism and hospitality

Film industry

Sports

Music and performances

Visual and literary arts

Legal challenges

NC Attorney General does not defend the bill

Private litigation

Litigation between North Carolina and the United States

Efforts to repeal or modify

Executive Order 93

House Bill 946 and Senate Bill 784

House Bill 169

Mediation by the private sector

Mediation by Governor-elect Cooper

Partial repeal

Full repeal

Popular opinion

Criticism

Public demonstrations

Political

Local government

Federal government

Presidential candidates

Appointment of Chris Sgro

Commercial

Religious groups

Christian

Jewish

Others

Press

International

United Kingdom

European Union

Advocacy groups

Public figures and others

Support

Political

Presidential candidates

Religious organizations

Public demonstrations

See also

External links

References