As of January 2021 the notorious HB2 expired and towns and cities like Hillsborough, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro and Orange County have already passed their nondiscrimination regulations. It was predicted that Charlotte would soon follow suit, but the city has not approved LGBTQ protections as of June 2021.
It has been announced that Charlotte is expected to approve these nondiscrimination ordinances in August; the date, however, is not yet set. The reason for this delay has not been discussed by Mayor Vi Lyles, but may be due to the pushback from several religious and conservative institutions.
In a letter to the public titled “The Harms of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Ordinances,” the North Carolina Faith & Freedom Coalition, NC Family Policy Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom for Faith Justice, NC Values Coalition and Concerned Women for America detailed the harmful results that could come from the nondiscrimination ordinances. This document goes on to say that small businesses would be subject to liabilities if required to allow transgender persons into their rest rooms and dressing rooms.
Republican District 6 Representative Tariq Bokhari reiterates these views, emphasizing, “it [the nondiscrimination ordinance] falls into a laundry list of dumpster fires we’re in the middle of.” After finding like-minded conservative individuals, Bokhari feels that Charlotte should pass LGBTQ protections.
The ordinance would make it so that any member of the LGBTQ community could not be refused employment or housing on the basis of their gender or sexual identity.
Democrat District 1 Representative Larken Egleston supports Charlotte adopting these protections. In an interview with WCNC Charlotte, Egleston is adamant that Charlotte will join Orange County and Carrboro in the nondiscrimination ordinances, stressing, “I’m not going to make any excuses for the timeline. I wish we would’ve been able to do it by now. It will get done. We’re aiming for August passage.”
Join us: This story is made possible with the help of qnotes’ contributors. If you’d like to show your support so qnotes can provide more news, features and opinion pieces like this, give a regular or one-time donation today.