The National Football League (NFL) on
Friday suggested for the first time that passage of a so-called
bathroom bill that targets the transgender community threatens Texas'
chances of hosting another Super Bowl.
“If a proposal that is discriminatory
or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would
certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future
events,” NFL
spokesman Brian McCarthy said in answering a question about
Texas' proposed bill.
Texas' bill, titled the “Privacy
Protection Act,” bars transgender people from using the bathroom of
their choice in many buildings, blocks local non-discrimination
ordinances that protect transgender people in public accommodations,
and prohibits local municipalities from considering such protections
when awarding contracts.
Houston played host to last week's
Super Bowl. The city also played host in 1974 and 2004. Dallas
hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
The office of Republican Governor Greg
Abbott said in a statement that “despite persistent misinformation
in the media” there is “no conflict with the NFL's statement
today and Senate Bill 6” because “all Texas teams will be able to
set their own policies at the stadiums and arenas where they play and
hold their events.”
North Carolina last year approved the
first – and so far only – state law that prohibits transgender
people from using the bathroom of their choice in government
buildings, including schools. A
Wired
analysis concluded that the law has cost the state more than $400
million in lost revenue. Despite the economic fallout in North
Carolina, several states are considering similar legislation.