Bathroom Gender Law to 'Create Liability Problem' for Businesses; Activists Accused of 'Putting Ideology Above Safety'
North Carolina's House Bill 2 (HB2), a new state law on antidiscrimination that covers race, national origin, color, age, religion, handicaps, and biological sex but not gender identity has been a hot topic of discussion, debate, and protests nationwide recently. Among those who have added their voices to the discussion say that these gender battles are creating a liability problem for businesses and that transgender activists are neglecting safety over ideology.
In an article written for InsideSources.com, Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group, suggested transgender activists are "putting ideology above safety."
"Transgender activists should welcome such an accommodation as protecting the safety and privacy of everyone," he said in the article. "The fact that they do not shows that they prioritize ideological aims above the safety and well-being of young people — including the safety and well-being of students who identify as transgender themselves."
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However, Sarah McBride, campaigns and communications manager for LGBT Progress at the Center for American Progress, counters in a separate article for InsideSources.com, saying this is a "myth."
"While bathrooms remain vulnerable spaces for many people, transgender and nontransgender alike, these fears are completely unfounded," McBride argues. "In the years … since transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination protections have been implemented, those laws never have allowed for or facilitated violence in public restrooms. Illegal behavior is still illegal, and for those determined to harm others, the presence or lack of nondiscrimination protections are irrelevant."
The passing of HB2, a.k.a bathroom bill, has been met with canceled expansions and events and the likes from the business sector. This decrease in the state's economic activity could result in loss of more than half a billion dollars. This could also pose a major concern for employers of businesses operating in the state, suggests Business Insurance. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suits over the treatment of transgender employees in the workplace. The agency believes forcing workers to use bathrooms according to their biological gender violates civil rights law, a position that's mirrored by the Justice Department.
The Justice Department has set May 9, as the deadline for North Carolina's government to "remedy" HB2. Gov. McCrory said he would answer by 5 p.m. Monday. However, House Speaker Tim Moore said on Thursday that the state legislative body refuses to be "bullied" by the federal government and "will take no action by Monday." If the law is proven to violate civil rights and the federal government pushes for a court order, North Carolina could face losing billions in federal funding.
