North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has signed what’s being considered a compromise bill to roll back the anti-transgender HB2 “bathroom bill” that sparked controversy nationwide.
The new bill passed the state Senate 32-16 and the House 70-48, and was signed by Cooper on March 30. The compromise, which Cooper said was “the best deal that we could get,” disappointed many pro-LGBTQ rights groups because it does not completely repeal HB2.
The compromise repeals a provision that requires people to use the bathroom that aligns with their birth gender, but a separate provision of the law that prohibits local communities from passing laws that protect the LGBTQ community was left intact.
Cooper said he wanted to see both provisions of the law repealed but that was not possible given the state’s Republican-majority legislature.
The compromise’s bipartisan support was motivated by the millions of dollars the state lost in the backlash to HB2. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) canceled games in the state, performers refused to play there and some conferences were canceled.
