You may be aware that, yesterday, Gov. Pat McCrory and Republican leaders in the state legislature filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that the Department of Justice’s demand that North Carolina back off its plans to implement HB 2 is a “a baseless and blatant overreach.” The suit was in reaction to a letter the Justice department sent last week to McCrory, informing him that North Carolina could lose millions in federal school funding if it moves forward on HB 2, which, among other things, restricts restroom access for transgender people.
U.S. Attorney General (and North Carolina native) Loretta Lynch responded to McCrory’s suit by filing a civil-rights lawsuit against the state. Lynch called the law “state-sponsored discrimination against transgender individuals,” and generally made McCrory look like a small, sad, dumb man.
You may also be aware that, next week, Durham will host Moogfest, a national music festival previously held in Asheville. The fest issued a strong statement condemning HB 2 when the shit started flying back in March. “This discriminatory law not only runs counter to the basic principles of equality, fairness, and justice,” the organizers said. “It is a direct affront to our principled mission.”
In response to yesterday’s news, Moogfest has announced more specifics about how it intends to defy the spirit of HB 2. This includes:
*An anti-HB 2 open forum on Thursday, May 19, at 2 p.m. (location TBD)
*Partnering with Equality NC to register voters onsite at the festival
*Partnering with Urban Outfitters on a t-shirt sale to raise money to fight HB 2
*Ensuring there are gender-neutral bathrooms at the venues
Along with many of its artists, Moogfest has issued a collective statement on HB 2 that, ahem, synthesizes many of these conversations.. You can read that on the fest’s site, which also now links to several Durham LGBT activist groups like Southerners on New Ground (SONG) and the LGBTQ Center of Durham.
