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If you wonder how Donald Trump came to be a powerhouse in the GOP primary election, just turn to North Carolina. According to The Huffington Post, the state’s General Assembly voted Wednesday to block cities and counties from passing protections against LGBT discrimination, an interesting move considering it’s 2016.
HB 2, which passed in a special session, would set a statewide anti-discrimination policy, banning employers and businesses from discriminating against employees or customers based on their race, color, country of origin, religion, age or “biological sex.” The bill offers no protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and prevents local governments from passing any nondiscrimination policy that goes beyond the statewide standard.
The law also prevents schools from allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender they actually identify with, since it’s not their “biological sex.”
So, this is what we’ve come to. Shortly after news broke, Twitter became a firestorm of outrage with the trending hashtag #WeAreNotThis, where people across the nation announced their disgust… and other feelings:
https://twitter.com/PeonyandFern/status/712987683828736000
https://twitter.com/RoseRunsOn/status/712980366513012737
https://twitter.com/GraigMeyer/status/712846397469507584
https://twitter.com/drskyskull/status/712839096545075200
https://twitter.com/TurnerWalston/status/712803594181996544
https://twitter.com/JeffJacksonNC/status/712789273490153475
https://twitter.com/VikingSpression/status/712782016048152576
https://twitter.com/BSD_RaJohnston/status/712775025594667008
https://twitter.com/sobstorys/status/712756067076325377
https://twitter.com/Triangle4Choice/status/712668940149895168
https://twitter.com/SarahLovely/status/712642569679802368
https://twitter.com/deenazee/status/712639927033466881
https://twitter.com/tracigifford/status/712991407498244096
“This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination efforts and gives lawmakers in Raleigh unprecedented control over our city and local governments,” Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue said in a statement. “North Carolina Republicans want to pass what would potentially be the single most discriminatory act in the country. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights, and local autonomy.”
Way to go North Carolina. Here’s hoping legislators get their heads out of their asses and focus on more important issues sometime in the near future.
