2017 All-Star Game Remains in Jeopardy
The NBA is refusing to support a supposed “fix” to North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law HB2. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday leaked details of a draft bill that some in the LGBT community found wildly offensive. The actual language would require transgender people in North Carolina who are unable to have their birth certificates changed to reflect their gender file for and obtain a kind of transgender license that would allow them to use public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity. However, only transgender people who have successfully completed medical treatments and have a doctor’s note would be allowed to obtain the card.
“We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is currently before the legislature,†the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets said in a joint statement, The Charlotte Observer reports. “We remain committed to our guiding principles of inclusion, mutual respect and equal protections for all. We continue to believe that constructive engagement with all sides is the right path forward. There has been no new decision made regarding the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.â€
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear that while he opposes HB2, he prefers to work behind the scenes and not threaten North Carolina lawmakers with an ultimatum. However, he has also made it clear the 2017 All-Star Game, worth hundreds of millions of dollars to North Carolina, is in jeopardy of being pulled and awarded to another state.
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