The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and Equality North Carolina have filed a joint lawsuit against North Carolina following the passage and signing of House Bill 2 by Governor Pat McCrory (picture above).
“We are disappointed that Governor McCrory did not do right by North Carolina’s families, communities, and businesses by vetoing this horribly discriminatory bill, but this will not be the last word,” said Chris Brook, legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina in a statement. “The ACLU, Lambda Legal, and Equality NC are reviewing all options, including litigation.”
“HB 2 is an undisguised attack on LGBT people and the efforts of one city to protect gay and transgender North Carolinians against discrimination,” said Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality NC in a statement.
The state legislature debated and passed HB2 last Wednesday during a one-day special session and Governor Pat McCrory (R) signed the bill into law almost immediately, but HB2 is far more than just a so-called "bathroom bill."
In addition to prohibiting transgender people from using a bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify as, HB2 also enables discrimination against the entire spectrum of LGBTQ individuals and even the disabled by prohibiting cities from drafting their own non-discrimination ordinances. The law also prohibits cities from raising the local minimum wage.
In the words of Ian Malcolm, that is one big pile of shit.
The ACLU's lawsuit against the state is only the beginning. It's likely the Department of Justice and the Department of Education will also challenge the law for violating Title IX which, in the Justice Department's view, applies to gender identity.
This is bound to end up in front of the Supreme Court at some point, but not under what remains of the Obama administration. Electing another Democrat in November to select the next generation of Supreme Court justices is extremely important.
GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump recently said he would outsource his Supreme Court picks to former GOP Senator Jim DeMint's anti-gay Heritage Foundation.