North Carolina lawmakers are preparing for a special session this Wednesday which has the potential to repeal the infamous House Bill 2, the notorious piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation in North Carolina.
This decision comes after the Charlotte City Council voted unanimously to repeal their nondiscrimination ordinance which prompted NC legislators to create HB2 in the first place.
This ordinance gave transgender individuals in the city of Charlotte the protection to use the bathroom that corresponded with their gender identity, however it was invalidated once HB2 was passed, taking away the right of any North Carolina city to legislate nondiscrimination policies relating to LGBTQ+ citizens.
Governor Pat McCrory (who recently lost his bid for re-election to his democratic opponent, Roy Cooper) offered to repeal HB2 earlier in the year but with the condition that Charlotte repeal its nondiscrimination ordinance. This offer was refused by Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, but with the recent election of Roy Cooper, she seems to have changed her mind.
Cooper himself, an opponent of HB2, actually lobbied for the Charlotte City Council to rescind their original ordinance in the hopes that this would finally allow the state to repeal HB2.
“Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte’s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB2 in full, I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full,” said Cooper in a statement.
While some criticize Roberts for compromising on LGBTQ equality, she insists in her statement to the Charlotte Observer that her decision “should in no way be viewed as a compromise of our principles or commitment to nondiscrimination.”
Regardless of criticisms, if the state legislature votes to repeal HB2 this Wednesday it will be a monumental step to where we should be in terms of LGBTQ rights. Cities will once again be granted the ability to legislate nondiscrimination ordinances for LGBTQ people (and with an incoming Democratic Governor, it is unlikely that ordinances like these will be challenged with hateful legislation such as the case of HB2). And if the legislature decides not to repeal HB2, there is a clause in Charlotte’s repeal agreement stating that their nondiscrimination ordinance will be reinstated if a deal has not been made by December 31st.
