Embattled McCrory says the federal government is being a “bully.”
The federal government has given the North Carolina government until Monday to decide if they will stop enforcing the new anti-LGBT law that was passed recently.
The US Justice Department found that House Bill 2, or HB2, violates the US Civil Rights Act and cannot be enforced.
HB2, known in the media as the Bathroom Bill, bars transgender individuals from accessing public restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms corresponding with their gender identity. It also removes local anti-discrimination legislation that protects the LGBT community.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has continually defended the bill as a “common-sense” decision. On Sunday he told ‘Fox News Sunday’ that the federal government is “being a bully” and he believes the Justice Department is “trying to define gender identity, and there is no clear identification or definition of gender identity.”
He also claimed that civil rights laws protecting racial discrimination cannot be compared to laws that protect transgender people.
Depending on the response from the Governor, the Department of Justice could decide to begin litigation processes.
Many civil liberties groups and individuals have filed suits to challenge the law and three of the Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation have sent a letter to McCrory asking him to repeal the law. The letter highlights the “economic devastation” North Carolina has seen since HB2 was passed.
Large corporations, movie and television production companies, and events have already refused to continue business in the state. The United Kingdom has also released travel warnings advising anyone visiting certain states, including North Carolina, will be subject to anti-LGBT laws.