A slate of pro-LGBTQ equality bills were introduced in the North Carolina House on Thursday.
The bills look to repeal HB 2 replacement House Bill 142 – which blocks local governments from passing non-discrimination ordinances until next year, create a statewide nondiscrimination policy that includes gender identity and sexual orientation, and prohibit conversion therapy that tries to change the gender identity or sexual orientation of a minor or an adult with a disability.
“This is a monumental day for LGBTQ North Carolinians and their loved ones throughout every corner of this state,” said Kendra R. Johnson, executive director of Equality North Carolina. “We have the opportunity to protect the youth of North Carolina, secure full protections under the eyes of the law and dissolve HB 142. This historic slate of legislation is a collective effort towards making life more equitable and safe for queer North Carolinians who deserve the basic dignity of living, loving and growing without the fear of prejudice or violence. Together, we can build a state that enables LGBTQ folks from all walks of life to prosper and show the world that North Carolina truly is a beautiful place to be queer.”
The proposals come about two years after legislators repealed HB 2 and replaced it with HB 142. Rushed through in a special legislative session, HB 2 prompted businesses to cancel expansion plans in North Carolina, led to boycotts, and cost the state an estimated $3.7 billion. Its replacement, HB 142, was largely seen as a repeal only in name, and discriminatory in its own right.
HB 2 – passed in 2016 – said multi-stall bathroom had to be designated for a single gender, and that people could only use the restroom corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate. The law also created a statewide anti-discrimination policy that did not protect against workplace and public accommodation discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, and said local governments couldn’t pass policies that went beyond what the state policy spelled out. It also limited the ability of local governments to require contractors to pay employees living wages, which was eliminated by HB 142.
House Bill 142 did away with the rules around bathroom access, but said only the state could establish policies on bathroom access, meaning local governments can’t ensure transgender people are able to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity. HB 142 repealed the statewide non-discrimination policy set out by HB 2, but prohibited local governments from passing their only anti-discrimination rules until December 1, 2020.
One bill filed Thursday seeks a full repeal of HB 142. Another would prohibit housing, workplace, public accommodations, lending, insurance, education and jury service discrimination based on “race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or genetic information.”
The third would prohibit licensed professionals – like family therapists, counselors and psychiatrists – from engaging in conversion therapy with anyone under eighteen, or any adult with a disability. Doing so would be considered “unprofessional conduct” and could result in discipline by a licensing agency. The bill also prohibits any public dollars from going to conversion therapy or entities that conduct it.
“North Carolina is changing, as is the entire South, because of the courage and resilience of LGBTQ people and those who love and support us,” said Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, which has joined with Equality NC on a campaign against conversion therapy. “Just a few years ago, North Carolina was the epicenter of anti-LGBTQ legislation. But we never stopped organizing, voting, having kitchen table conversations, and lifting up a vision of what’s possible when North Carolina comes together around our core values of hope, dignity, and fairness for all. Today’s historic show of support from North Carolina lawmakers marks an important milestone in the journey to full equality. We won’t stop until we get there.”