The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Monday that it would pull seven championship games from North Carolina over the states anti-LGBT law known as HB2.
In the announcement, the NCAA said that North Carolina laws make it challenging to “promote an inclusive atmosphere for all college athletes, coaches, administrators and fans.”
“Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships.”
The NCAA announcement follows the NBA’s decision to pull its 2017 All-Star game from Charlotte, North Carolina, over HB2.
The law keeps transgender individuals form using public restrooms that align with their gender identity and prevents local governments from passing laws to protect LGBT individuals from discrimination.
In a Monday night statement, University of North Carolina President Margaret Spellings said the university is “surprised and disappointed by the NCAA’s decision.”
“As reflected in long-standing University policy, UNC campuses do not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, and we are fully committed to being open and welcoming to individuals of all backgrounds,” she said. “We remain caught in the middle of a conflict between state law and federal guidance, and we welcome a speedy resolution of these issues by the court.”
And the North Carolina Republican Party responded with an angry statement, blasting the NCAA’s decision as an “assault to female athletes” and claiming that the NCAA does not want to have separate lockers rooms for men and women. The state GOP also used conservatives’ favorite defense of bathroom bills — that they protect women’s privacy and safety — and mentioned the Baylor University football players charged with sexual assault.
Here’s the NC GOP’s response to the NCAA. I made sure it was not a parody account. pic.twitter.com/BD8Ak8Rx0q
— Andrew Carter (@_andrewcarter) September 13, 2016
Courtesy of Pat “Deplorable” McCrory
The Republican Party - good for business, good for wise spending of state money.
Ah, heck. Good for nothing.
Edit: I read the Baylor piece. Somewhere in there I missed that Tevin Elliott, the 6’9" 275 lb Shawn Oakman, Sam Ukwuachu, (6’4", 232 lbs.) were visiting the women’s restrooms when they suddenly overcame their adopted gender and raped their victims.
The Republican party has a point - this IS about safety for women. And they are on the wrong side of it. Transgender women forced to use the men’s room have been assaulted, although I don’t know of any transgender women assaulting women. And now, since bearded men are required to use the ladies’ room, how will women (and girls) know who they are confronting when they exit the stall? This is particularly poignant for girls that have faced sexual assault in the past (from heterosexuals!). We’ve been sharing restrooms with transgender people forever, and this law is just another expression of the fear and hate that runs today’s Republican party. Just as “voter fraud” laws are actually “voter suppression” laws, this “anti-LGBT” law is actually anti-woman, as well.
McRory: This is another example of Obama doing his best to hurt NC economy so that Democrats can win NC. He is also forcing us to use bathrooms with weirdos.
America cured itself of its Prohibition fetish after about 15 years. NC unfortunately will take about that much time to figure out being buggered by that Yank Pat is sodding awful :’(