Four Democratic members of the North
Carolina House plan to introduce a bill Monday that would repeal a
controversial law that targets the LGBT community.
Representatives Darren Jackson, Graig
Meyer, Susi Hamilton and Grier Martin will hold a joint press
conference at 11 A.M to discuss their legislative proposal.
House Bill 2 was a knee jerk reaction
to passage of an LGBT protections bill in Charlotte. Lawmakers
approved and Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill during a
one-day special session. It repealed Charlotte's ordinance and
blocked other cities from enacting similar measures. It also bars
students attending public institutions from using the bathroom that
does not conform to their gender at birth.
The law spurred companies, politicians
and artists to speak out. PayPal
and Deutsche
Bank have halted expansion plans in North Carolina, while several
cities and states have instituted non-essential travel bans to the
state, the
latest being Los Angeles. Cirque
du Soleil, Pearl
Jam and Boston
are the latest artists to cancel shows in North Carolina to protest
the law.
(Related: In
London, Obama says anti-gay laws in North Carolina, Mississippi
should be overturned.)
“The damage to NC's reputation and
economy has been swift and is growing exponentially,” the North
Carolina Democratic Party said in a statement. “House Bill 2 is
bad for all NC citizens and it is bad for all NC businesses.”