title:  Charlotte City Council Betrays LGBT Community In Exchange For Hearing On HB 2 Repeal
text: North Carolina is stuck in the past and the city of Charlotte just sold out to join the rest of the state.Ever since the Charlotte city council voted for a non-discrimination ordinance to protect LGBT people, Republicans have thrown a hissy fit about, leading the GOP controlled legislature to pass HB 2, which severely restricted the rights of LGBT people and gave businesses the ability to discriminate against them at will.The evil law has cost the state thousands of jobs and millions of dollars as companies have refused to do business in North Carolina. Entertainers and sports organizations have also punished the state.For months, the Charlotte city council refused to repeal the ordinance and stood up for the rights of LGBT people.But on Monday, the Charlotte city council betrayed the LGBT community by taking a vote they said they would not take.In exchange for a special session that merely could result in the full repeal of HB 2, the Charlotte city council voted unanimously to repeal the non-discrimination ordinance. And Governor-Elect Roy Cooper persuaded them to do so. Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB 2 in full,  Cooper said.  I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full. Full repeal will help to bring jobs, sports and entertainment events back and will provide the opportunity for strong LGBT protections in our state. And that s complete bullshit since Republicans control the state legislature and will never allow the state of North Carolina to move into the 21st century. Also, Cooper and the city council screwed over the LGBT community for a mere assurance that there will be a special session. And even if they do, that does not guarantee that HB 2 will be repealed. In fact, they ll probably keep it just to humiliate Cooper even more than they already have when the GOP held special sessions to strip him of power before he takes office.Mayor Jennifer Roberts had the gall to claim the city council vote  should in no way be viewed as a compromise of our principles or commitment to non-discrimination. Here s video of the Charlotte city council betraying the LGBT community.And that s exactly what they did. They sold out the LGBT community by going back to the status quo, which is that businesses and public institutions can now openly discriminate against LGBT people.Cooper and the Charlotte city council have opened themselves up to being accused of playing politics and that they re the ones who hurt the state instead of the Republican legislature that passed HB 2.And they deserve the criticism.The people of Charlotte did not even get the opportunity to voice their opinion before the vote took place. It happened secretly and swiftly and human rights were sacrificed for an empty promise that Republicans will not honor. In fact, they don t have to repeal HB 2 at all. And even if they do, Cooper and the Charlotte city council just surrendered the moral high ground by letting Republicans know that they can bullied into abandoning what s right.Roy Cooper and the Charlotte city council are a bunch of disgraceful cowards and the boycott of North Carolina, especially Charlotte, should continue.Featured Image: Screenshot