DOJ Sues To Block North Carolina's Anti-LGBT Bill

[DonRedwood]

Source: TPM

The Department of Justice Monday filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's HB2, known as the state's "bathroom bill." The complaint alleges that provisions in the law that bars transgender people from using bathrooms of public agency aligned with their gender identity violates various civil rights laws.

In particular the Justice Department is focusing on North Carolina state government as an employer and alleges that enforcement of the law discriminates against transgender state employees.

The complaint coincides with the deadline the Department of Justice had given North Carolina to confirm "that the State will not comply with or implement HB2," as the agency said it violates various federal statutes. Not only did Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signal he would not be backing down from enforcing the law, he fired an opening shot Monday morning by filing a legal complaint of his own against the federal government, accusing the Obama administration of a "radical reinterpretation" of civil rights laws.

The defendants in the case are McCrory and the State of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina, and the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. The lawsuit alleges their implementation of HB2 "stigmatizes and singles out transgender individuals seeking access to covered facilities, results in their isolation and exclusion, and perpetuates a sense that they are not worthy of equal treatment and respect." It calls the law a violation of Title VII, which prohibits sex discrimination by employers (among other types of discrimination); of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education; and of the Violence Against Women Act.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/doj-press-conference-north-carolina-law

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The Department of Justice is not messing around! They gave NC to their deadline and then filed.

[Mira]

1. I'm slowly beginning to exhale

A powerful step has been take to support us North Carolinians as members of the entire United States of America. Bigots and racists who wanted to cram their prejudices into laws that hurt us have been clearly labeled and called out.
Thank you President Obama and your team.

[DonRedwood]

5. Obama has been great to LGBT people

Never anyone better!

[blm]

7. Some of Obama's critics don't understand what NC is going through.

We were once the most progressive southern state up until the GOP took full control of NC.

We know firsthand the differences between the two parties - like night and day.

[Ford_Prefect]

2. About time they did too.

They also need to address the portion of the law interfering with local governance. We are well past tired of McCrory and his goons telling every county, city, town, village and citizen how to conduct day to day community life, as if the whole of North Carolina was one bizarre unified 15th century religious cult.

[mnhtnbb]

3. The Attorney General of the US--Loretta Lynch--is a native of North Carolina.

I imagine she has a vested interest in seeing Gov. McCrory and his merry band of bigots in the Legislature put in their
place for their roles in enacting this hateful legislation. It will be really nice to see someone of whom the State of North Carolina can
be proud take down these hateful politicians, who, interestingly enough, all seem to be "carpetbaggers".

Huh.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. This:

https://twitter.com/bennydiego/status/729697028729540608

[DonRedwood]

6. Their overreach is going to be their undoing.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. +1

[iandhr]

8. But but but.....

There is no difference between the parties. Something something Obama is a Republican something something about third way neoliberal snake oil salesman, used car salesman etc.





Stuff like that used to be the top recommended post. It was sickening to see talk like that cheered on here.


Now we have CDS people who steal the show with increasingly moronic posts.