Massachusetts Representative Joe
Kennedy III, a Democrat and the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, is
calling on the NCAA to continue its boycott of championship events in
North Carolina over the state's LGBT policies.
Last week, Democratic Governor Roy
Cooper signed a compromise deal to repeal House Bill 2, the
beleaguered law that blocked cities from enacting LGBT protections
and prohibited transgender people from using the bathroom of their
choice. The law's passage last year led to an economic boycott of
the state. The new law, House Bill 142, repeals House Bill 2, but it
also leaves bathroom regulation to the state and enacts a moratorium
on local LGBT ordinances until December 1, 2020.
(Related: NC's
Roy Cooper signs deal to repeal anti-LGBT law.)
Kennedy called the compromise “a
sham.”
“When it comes to civil rights there
are no compromises, negotiations or trade-offs,” Kennedy said.
“Either the laws of this country apply equally to all of us or they
don’t. By barring local anti-discrimination laws, North Carolina is
leaving their transgender community without the protections any other
citizen enjoys. That is the definition of discrimination. In recent
years, the NCAA has set the bar high for tolerance and equality both
on the court and in the stands. I applaud their leadership and urge
them to consider this compromise what it is: A sham.”
The NCAA has said it will announce its
decision on whether to end the boycott this week.