Saturday, April 09, 2016

North Carolina Continues to Be Pummeled Over Anti-Gay HB 2

When not making disingenuous statements - lies is perhaps a more accurate description - in support of the heinous HB2, one has to wonder what North Carolina Republicans are really thinking. The list of those boycotting the state, cancelling conventions, Broadway performances, and now even a Bruce Springsteen concert continues to grow.  Add to this NAACP threats of massive sit ins if the law is not repealed.  Perhaps the most delicious fall out is that UVA's Larry Sabato has changed his projection on the gubernatorial race in November from "leans Republican" to "toss up" because of the furor HB2 has unleashed. Rarely does one find big business, liberal religious groups, minority groups, and many localities all coming together to oppose a piece of legislation.  Can the Christofascist vote which this law was designed to please overcome the huge uprising?  Gov. Pat McCrory my yet discover that self-prostitution to Christian zealots can carry a very high cost.  Here's a look at some of the latest developments, starting with Larry Sabato's revised projection:
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, one of the nation’s top campaign-rating organizations, on Thursday moved North Carolina’s gubernatorial election from “leans Republican” to “toss-up,” based on the state’s controversial nondiscrimination law and the impact on down-ballot races of having Sen. Ted Cruz or Donald Trump as the GOP presidential nominee.  He also nudges the U.S. Senate race from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.”
“Gov. Pat McCrory (R) has generally had fairly weak approval numbers throughout his time in office, and he is now dealing with a challenge similar to the one (Indiana Gov. Gary) Pence faced last year: McCrory just signed a bill that bans cities from creating local policies dealing with gender-identity discrimination and forces transgender students in public schools to use the bathroom that corresponds with their birth gender. ...
“Republicans have long recognized the threat that Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) presents to McCrory, and both sides are gearing up for an expensive, nasty race. Because of incumbency, we were giving McCrory the benefit of the doubt. But no longer . . .

Very fun suff in my view - especially since McCrory's damage is self-inflicted.  Even South Carolina's Nikki Haley has suggested she would veto such a bill if it reached her desk.

Then there's the NAACP threat to join the protests against HB2.  Here are excerpts from The State:
N.C. NAACP president William Barber says his group will hold a “mass sit-in” at the legislature if a controversial LGBT law isn’t repealed by April 21.
Barber, whose Forward Together Moral Movement has organized numerous Moral Monday protests and acts of civil disobedience, plans to announce more details about the event at a news conference Saturday morning.
“We cannot be silent in the face of this race-based, class-based, homophobic and transphobic attack on wage earners, civil rights, and the LGBTQ community,” Barber said in a news release. “Together with our many allies, we will coordinate a campaign of nonviolent direct action along with other forms of nonviolent protest that will instruct our legislators with respect to the rights of all people.”
The N.C. General Assembly isn’t scheduled to return until April 25, so it would have to hold a special session if it wanted to repeal House Bill 2 earlier. Republican leaders have said they aren’t willing to repeal the law . . . Barber’s organization is among several groups planning rallies on both sides of the House Bill 2 issue. 

Last but least, Bruce Springsteen has announced that he is cancelling his concert scheduled for Greensboro due to HB 2.   Here are highlights from Springsteen's Facebook statement:
As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them.

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