title:  Michael Jordan Condemns North Carolina Anti-LGBT Law
text: North Carolina Republicans just got slam-dunked by the greatest NBA player of all time.Their bigotry has cost the state many economic opportunities since HB2 was signed into law. Corporations are cancelling projects. Entertainers are cancelling performances. The federal government is looking into stopping the flow of federal cash into the state. The NBA has threatened to pull the All-Star game out of the state. Yet Republicans are refusing to repeal the law that literally allows business owners to discriminate against LGBT people.It s all because Republicans are obsessed with transgender people using the bathroom.According to conservatives, the law is necessary to protect women and children from sexual predators whom they claim will use transgender protections as a shield to defend going into women s restrooms and locker rooms to commit sexual assault. But that claim has been debunked, even by Fox News, because there has not been a single instance of that scenario occurring in the 17 states and over 200 cities that have transgender protections in place.Now NBA legend Michael Jordan has spoken out against the law, declaring in a statement that the Charlotte Hornets organization does not support discrimination and that the Time Warner Cable Arena will continue to be a safe and inclusive place for everyone.Jordan issued the following statement through the Charlotte Observer on April 27: As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment. As has been the case since the building opened, we will continue to ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome while at work or attending NBA games and events in Time Warner Cable Arena. This should be considered a strong statement by His Airness considering his history of declining to get involved in politics.Jordan was raised in North Carolina. He went to high school there and attended college at the University of North Carolina where he played basketball for the Tar Heels before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. He would go on to win six championships with the Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player in the history of the game.He is now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and is considered one of the most influential and powerful figures in the state, so this statement carries a lot of weight. Now one just has to wonder how long it will be before Republicans pass a bill specifically banning transgender people from using the bathroom at the Time Warner Cable Arena.Featured image via YouTube