The last time we checked in with members of the Durham City Council on HB 2, a repeal looked likely. Charlotte was open to standing down. Then-Governor Pat McCrory and Republican leaders in the legislature seemed willing to do the same. And some local government leaders, Durham council woman Jillian Johnson and Carrboro alderman Damon Seils, said they would be interested in seeing their respective boards, after the repeal, pass similar ordinances to Charlotte’s (the one that started the HB 2 fiasco).
Then, during a costly special session, the repeal failed.
And while Governor Roy Cooper has not yet been able to convince the legislature to make good on its alleged pledge to get rid of HB 2 in exchange for Charlotte’s stand-down, Durham residents (hundreds of them) are urging their board to pass protections for the LGBTQ community anyway.
Here is a sampling of the emails that the council has received in recent days:
Thus far, several council members have responded to various constituents. Council member Charlie Reece wrote this lengthy response, which essentially states that passing such an ordinance would do little to actually shield the LGTBQ community—that it would be nothing more than a symbolic gesture:
Whether or not Durham will move forward with what Reece characterized as a “symbolic” stand remains unclear.
