The chorus of voices rising up pointing out the absurdity of the HB2 replacement passed in North Carolina last week is growing. ESPN’s Rachel Nichols took a moment last Thursday on The Jump to express her disgust with the forced and legalized discrimination being pedaled by North Carolina politicians as a “repeal.”
Some of what she said:
“Just because those who support this new bill say they are repealing the controversial law, that doesn't mean they actually are. Although the new bill drops the rule on transgender bathroom use, it still leaves in place so much of what has already sent both the NCAA and NBA scurrying. …
“So for the next three-and-a-half years, at minimum, if a hotel wants to turn away a lesbian family because they don't like there are two mommies, there would still not be any local law allowed that would protect that family. …
“Those are not the values of the NBA or the NCAA. …
“No one needs sports leagues to legislate politics. but this isn’t politics, this is a civil rights issue. this is about some of the very basics of human decency.”
While she is correct that the new bill drops the rule on trans bathroom use, it leaves the law decision-making on said bathroom use in the hands of the Republican-led state legislature. In other words: Very little has changed.
She concluded that she hopes the NBA, NCAA and others continue to keep championship-level events away from the state.
