DAMAGE CONTROL: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory Issues “Myths Vs Facts” List On Anti-LGBT Law

After facing near universal condemnation from the media, from big business, and from civil rights groups, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has issued a nine-point “Myths Vs Facts” press release about his state’s anti-LGBT law. I’ve screen-capped the full message below and as you’ll see, McCrory doesn’t tell the full story.myths1myths2There are so many obfuscations in this list, it’s hard to know where to start. First of all, McCrory fails to point out that transgender students are now barred from using restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity at their public schools.

And his claim that the bill doesn’t restrict cities from enacting “stricter non-discrimination policies” for their employees glosses over the fact that the new law has overturned such policies for the public in eight North Carolina municipalities. All cities are now banned from extending LGBT protections to the public.

McCrory also claims that trans citizens simply need to change their birth certificate in order to legally use public facilities that align with their gender identity. The problem there, of course, is that under North Carolina law, one must have had “sex reassignment surgery” in order to obtain a new birth certificate – something which not all transgender people elect to do (or often, can afford to do.)

As for his point that private businesses remain free to set pro-LGBT policies of their own, the companies that would do so have never been the fucking problem. It is now completely legal statewide for any business to refuse employment, housing, and public accommodations to LGBT citizens. Outside of the eight cities with now-overturned pro-LGBT ordinances, it always has been.