title:  NBA Yanks All-Star Game Out Of Charlotte Over Bigoted Bathroom Law
text: North Carolina s anti-transgender law, HB2, has made the state and its notoriously bigoted governor, Pat McCrory, come under fire from decent people and companies everywhere. Well, now they are going to take a huge hit to the state s economy as the National Basketball Association has pulled its All-Star game out of Charlotte over the law. The sports organization said that it would be unable to host the convention while the law is on the books and being enforced. They said in a statement: Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community   current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans.While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2. As expected, Pat McCrory, like the good, small-minded bigot that he is, struck back and blamed liberals for the consequences of his own bigotry: The sports and entertainment elite, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the liberal media have for months misrepresented our laws and maligned the people of North Carolina simply because most people believe boys and girls should be able to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers without the opposite sex present. Twenty-one other states have joined North Carolina to challenge the federal overreach by the Obama administration mandating their bathroom policies in all businesses and schools instead of allowing accommodations for unique circumstances. Left-wing special interest groups have no moral authority to try and intimidate the large majority of American parents who agree in common-sense bathroom and shower privacy for our children. The Human Rights Campaign immediately came out to praise the NBA for their strong stand against bigotry. President Chad Griffin said: Today the NBA and Commissioner Silver sent a clear message that they won t stand for discrimination against LGBTQ employees, players or fans, said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin in a statement.  The NBA repeatedly warned state lawmakers that their hateful HB2 law created an inhospitable environment for their 2017 All-Star Game and other events. Nevertheless, Governor McCrory, Senator Berger and Speaker Moore doubled down on HB2 and refused to undo their discriminatory and costly error in judgment. Every day that HB2 remains on the books, people across North Carolina are at risk of real harm. We appreciate the leadership of the NBA in standing up for equality and call once again on lawmakers to repeal this vile HB2 law. HB2 is nothing more than a strike at the LGBTQ community. These right-wing transphobes and homophobes are so afraid of LGBTQ people that they are literally policing who can pee. It s a level of bigotry and insanity that is unacceptable in our society, and businesses are sending clear messages that they don t reward open, overt, and deliberate discrimination. The NBA follows a long list of businesses and entertainers who have refused to enter North Carolina until they stop making discrimination a matter of law.Keep the pressure on, big business. In the end, hate never wins.Featured image via Wikipedia 