Al Drago/CQ Roll CallNearly 3,000 miles away from a new North Carolina ruling, some of Hollywood's most famous are issuing outcries.
In less than 24 hours, the North Carolina General Assembly created and passed a bill that will block local governments within the state from enacting any anti-discrimination legislature meant to protect the LGBT community.
The ruling comes as a response to an ordinance passed by the Charlotte City Council in late February, which expanded the city's current nondiscrimination ordinance to include LGBT residents. In addition to race, age, religion and gender, the ruling was meant to also prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill came under particular fire because of its stipulation regarding bathroom use. The ordinance stated that Charlotte's LGBT citizens would be permitted to use either bathroom based off of which gender they use to identify.
The ordinance would have gone into effect on April 1, but has now been shut down by North Carolina's recent state ruling, which was signed by Republican Governor Pat McCrory late Wednesday evening.
"The basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was violated by government overreach and intrusion by the mayor and city council of Charlotte," the governor said in a statement.
"This radical breach of trust and security under the false argument of equal access not only impacts the citizens of Charlotte but people who come to Charlotte to work, visit or play. This new government regulation defies common sense and basic community norms by allowing, for example, a man to use a woman's bathroom, shower or locker room."
"I am appalled with the General Assembly's actions today. It has passed a bill that is worse than what we have seen in Indiana and Georgia and other states. This legislation is literally the most anti-LGBT legislation in the country. It sanctions discrimination against the LGBT community," Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said in a statement. "This legislation also repeals local protections against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, and sex and replaces them with a statewide prohibition with no consequences for those who discriminate. Contrary to the NCGA's claim that they have broadened protections, they have actually opened the door to discrimination against anyone for any reason."
With the bill's passage, Hollywood has been equally as vocal against the new ruling. Sarah Silverman deemed the law "f--king gross" on Twitter. Actress Laverne Cox called on supporters to not back down.
"I am so disappointed in the governor and legislature of North Carolina. Overturn #HB2," she tweeted. "Stay strong. This law is clearly unconstitutional and will not survive a court challenge. Let's let this mobilize us."