North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has vowed to revise a new law that limits the anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender after facing weeks of backlash, which includes corporation revoking plans to invest in the state. The move was also made to strengthen and affirm the state's commitment to equality.
The Washington Post reported McCrory has signed an executive order that seeks to expand the protection for employees by preventing workers for being gay or transgender. He is also pushing for legislation that would restore the LGBT community's right to sue for discrimination.
However, McCrory's order did not alter the bill's controversial provision that bans transgender people from using bathrooms or locker rooms in schools and other public establishments that do not conform to their sexual orientation as indicated on their birth certificate.
"It maintains common sense gender-specific restroom and locker room facilities in government buildings and in our schools, and when possible, encourages reasonable accommodations for families and those who have unique or special circumstances," McCrory stated, as quoted by Japan Times.
Critics of the legislation called the governor's action as a half-measure and that he did not go far enough to correct the discriminatory provisions against North Carolina's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
"Governor McCrory's actions today are a poor effort to save face after his sweeping attacks on the LGBT community," American Civil Liberties Union North Carolina executive director Sarah Preston said, via Reuters.
Aside from the massive protests from North Carolina's LGBT community and supporters, businesses have also pulled the plugs on their plans to open businesses in the community.
Deutsche Bank announced on Tuesday that it was halting its plans to open 250 jobs at its software application development center in Cary, North Carolina.
In protest against the discriminatory legislative measure, PayPal Holdings also cancelled its plans to put up a global operations center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
