North Carolina Expected To Repeal Controversial 'Bathroom Bill'

The North Carolina legislature will repeal its controversial law that stripped protections from the LGBT community, according to a statement from incoming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who recently won election over Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.

North Carolina's HB2, which was passed in May, prevented schools from letting students use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity and also barred city and county governments from passing their own LGBT anti-discrimination laws.

In protest, several prominent companies postponed or scrapped planned expansions into North Carolina; prominent performers and sports leagues cancelled major concerts and six states plus the District of Columbia banned public travel to the Tarheel State.

Cooper, the incoming governor and current attorney general, said in a statement Monday that the state's legislature had agreed to call a special session Wednesday to repeal the law.

It started back in February, when Charlotte, the most populous city in the state, passed Ordinance 7056. That ordinance banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in public spaces or by city workers.

In response, the Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature signed HB2, which effectively nullified Charlotte's ordinance.

That set off a wave of opposition from national figures and organizations who had planned to do business in or visit North Carolina.

In the entertainment world, Bruce Springsteen was the most high-profile figure to speak out against the law. He cancelled a scheduled tour date in Greensboro and called the law "an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress."

PayPal and Deutsche Bank hit the brakes on planned expansions into the state, while Lionsgate, A&E Networks and 21st Century Fox either cancelled filming or said they would not consider the state for future shooting on movies and TV shows.

The NBA moved its All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans, and the NCAA said it would move all championship events out of the state, including first- and second-round games of the men's basketball tournament.

With an incoming Democratic governor who is opposed to the law (and fought against it as the state's attorney general), Charlotte's city council voted Monday to repeal its own city ordinance with the expectation that the state will repeal HB2 in a special session.

In a video message, McCrory said he will call the state's general assembly into a special session Wednesday but stopped short of saying outright that HB2 would be repealed.

Instead, he said, now that Charlotte has rescinded its own ordinance "the expectation of privacy in our showers, bathrooms and locker rooms is restored and protected under previous state law."

"This sudden reversal with little notice after the gubernatorial election has ended sadly proves this entire issue, originated by the political left, was all about politics at the expense of Charlotte and the entire state of North Carolina," he continued.

"But as I promised months ago, if the Charlotte ordinance was repealed, I would call our General Assembly into a Special Session to reconsider existing state legislation passed earlier this year. And I'm doing just that for this Wednesday."

A statement from North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, also characterized Charlotte's repeal of its ordinance as a "political stunt" and said the decision to call the special session to repeal HB2 was made by McCrory, the outgoing governor, and not them.

"For months, we've said if Charlotte would repeal its bathroom ordinance that created the problem, we would take up the repeal of HB2," the joint statement said. "But Roy Cooper is not telling the truth about the legislature committing to call itself into session — we've always said that was Gov. McCrory's decision, and if he calls us back, we will be prepared to act."

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This post will be updated.