NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley this
week expressed disappointment over a North Carolina law that targets
the LGBT community.
House Bill 2, approved last month
during a one-day special session, blocks cities from enacting
ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation
or gender identity and bars students attending public institutions
from using the bathroom that does not conform to their gender at
birth.
Next year's NBA All-Star Game is set to
take place at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.
“As a black person, I'm against any
form of discrimination – against whites, Hispanics, gays, lesbians
– however you want to phrase it,” the Turner Sports NBA analyst
told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday. “It's my job, with the
position of power that I'm in and being able to be on television, I'm
supposed to stand up for the people who can't stand up for
themselves. So, I think the NBA should move the All-Star Game from
Charlotte.”
Nearby Atlanta has expressed interest
in hosting the game.