A day after Charlotte City Council
voted against considering a proposal to repeal its LGBT protections
ordinance, North Carolina leaders said that repeal was necessary for
the state to alter its controversial law.
House Speaker Tim Moore said this week
that he and other Republican leaders are willing to alter some parts
of House Bill 2. But he added that Charlotte must first act.
The law was a knee jerk reaction to
Charlotte's ordinance. It blocks cities from enacting such measures
and prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their
choice in government buildings, including schools.
“I do think very frankly if Charlotte
gets rid of the ordinance … it gives us the opportunity to look at
some of those tweaks we've talked about making,” Moore said. “For
any conversation to happen, Charlotte needs to take a look at what it
did and it needs to be the first to make any movement before there's
any conversation.”
The law's bathroom provision, Moore
said, was “non-negotiable.”
On
Monday, Charlotte leaders voted against considering a proposal
that would repeal the city's ordinance.
Mayor Jennifer Roberts tweeted before
the vote: “We cannot compromise on basic human rights. Any repeal
of LGBT protections is bad for business, bad for Charlotte's future.”
According to a report by the Charlotte
Chamber, Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, has suffered a
$285 million economic blow and a loss of as many as 1,300 jobs as a
result of House Bill 2. The chamber backs repeal of the city's LGBT
protections.