The event I read about was North Carolina's anti-transgender bathroom laws.
Earlier this summer in North Carolina, a set of laws was passed, also known as the HB2 laws. Essentially, these laws required transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender that's on their birth certificate, not the bathroom of the gender that they identify with. This caused an uproar of chaos between North Carolina and other states who are supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. The U.S. Justice Department ended up deciding that the ability for North Carolina to make this law was not right. However, a mainly republican North Carolina completely disagreed. Overall, this law is still standing, but North Carolina is apparently losing billions of dollars over it. According to sports business professor Patrick Rishe, NBA and NCAA teams have pulled out of the North Carolina area because they don't support the law. This causes a major decrease in tourist and sports revenue, which is a huge loss for the government of North Carolina.
Personally, I don't really feel sorry for North Carolina. The percentage of people in the United States who identify as transgender is 0.3%, about 700,000 people. Although that is a small group, the deserve rights to do something as simple as use the bathroom of their preferred gender. Certain people have said that this is about the safety of public bathrooms, but it is more about hatred. Back then, the separation of white and colored water fountains wasn't about the water fountains, and it isn't about the bathroom now. It's about hatred for a minority that the majority wants to oppress. So, I am glad that it's somewhat backfiring for the government of North Carolina.
Overall, this series of events, in my opinion, is related to the oppression of America by Great Britain in the mid to late 18th century, and in particular, the Declaratory Act of 1766. Series of acts were passed in order to suppress the American colonies, and the Declaratory Act, especially, was Britain's way of grabbing the ropes and denying basic human rights to Americans. The Declaration of Independence even stated the basic human rights and necessities that hadn't been granted to the colonies. Here too, these people should have the absolute right to go to the bathroom of their preferred identity. It just goes to show you that minority groups will always be suppressed and we just need to stand up to help them.
- http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/09/17/Transgender-Bathroom-Law-Costing-North-Carolina-Millions-Lost-Sports-Tourism
- http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/02/north-carolina-transgender-bathroom-trial-delayed.html
I completely agree with you. It's still discrimination against a minority, no matter what the minority is. It really doesn't even affect the people who aren't transgender. It makes no difference to them, they will still have their own bathrooms. I don't understand why this has become such a big deal.
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely unfair how North Carolina was handling this situation, and I feel that people should have the freedom and right to use whatever bathroom they deem necessary. I too feel like North Carolina's government deserves what it is going through right now.
ReplyDeleteI think it's absolutely crazy how the people of North Carolina are handling this situation. I feel like the government needs to be more open to the new modern ideas of gender. And that people should have the right to use whichever bathroom they prefer.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and everyone who commented on your post. You would think North Carolina would change their law not only to be more fair but to also not lose so much money and support.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely and feel like how North Carolina is handling this situation is taking 5 steps back in our journey to equality as a country.
ReplyDeleteI also completely agree with you. North Carolina is only bringing this upon themselves and it's totally unfair what they're doing. LGBTQ+ people should have the right to use whichever bathroom they so choose.
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