San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has blocked city employees from going to North Carolina after the latter pursued with a new legislation which he calls "discriminatory". North Carolina was noted to have passed a bill that many say encourages discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender people.
According to Newser, San Francisco has banned its government employess from travelling to North Carolina in protest of what Mayor Ed Lee calls a "new discriminatory law." The mayor banned any city-funded and non-essential travels to the state but made an exception to any travel related to health concerns. In a statement, the mayor said "We are standing united as San Franciscans to condemn North Carolina's new discriminatory law that turns back the clock on protecting the rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals."
The law which was passed just last week is barring local governments from extending the civil rights protections of gay and transgender people and bans transgenders from using public bathrooms that are not inline with their sexual identity, The Washington Post wrote. North Carolina's Republican- controlled legislature proceeded with the law in response to the Charlotte's ordinance. The ordinance allows transgender people to use bathrooms aligned with their own gender identity.
In accordance to this, many corporations and public individuals have spoken out regarding the law passed by North Carolina. The Independent reported that the move have sparked dismayed and criticisms from corporate giants like American Airlines, Apple, Dow Chemical, PayPal, Red Hat and Biogen who already voiced out their concerns. Moreover, the National Basketball Association is also thinking of moving the 2017 All Star game from the state.
Gay rights leaders already said that the legislation passed is a demolition in the community that is hard fought. Human Rights Campaign said that the reckless decision is a direct attack on the rights, well-being and dignity of the LGBT people.
