Earlier this month, the U.S. federal government informed North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory that the state’s controversial bathroom law, House Bill 2 (HB 2), violates the Civil Rights Act, and the Justice Department gave the state until Monday to remedy the situation. North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” bars transgender people from using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. On Monday, North Carolina responded to the federal order by filing a lawsuit against the Justice Department claiming that the federal government is overreaching and misinterpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Since the controversial bill was passed in March of 2016, the ACLU and two transgender men have filed discrimination lawsuits against the state. LGBT advocates, civil liberties groups, celebrities, politicians, and business leaders have condemned the law. Several musicians, including Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and Demi Lovato, have cancelled shows in North Carolina in protest of HB 2. Additionally, PayPal and Deutsche Bank have abandoned plans to expand in the state.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has taken a number of steps to ensure that LGBT rights are protected in Philadelphia. Kenney recently joined a coalition of big-city mayors dedicated to fighting discriminatory laws. He also issued a travel ban on nonessential business for city employees to North Carolina, and invited companies like PayPal that support LGBT rights to relocate to Philadelphia. Philadelphia has also enacted a bill which designates all single-stall bathrooms in the city as gender neutral.
Philadelphia employment lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates are dedicated to fighting discrimination in the workplace. Our experienced attorneys have obtained justice for countless Philadelphia workers who have been subject to sex and gender discrimination, race discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, and other workplace misconduct. Contact us online or call 215-569-1999 for a free consultation.