Gov. Pat McCrory
Almost all of the criticism of HB2, North Carolina’s discrimination law that was rushed through the legislature and signed into law in one day, focuses on its anti-LGBT intent. One provision of the law cancels all local nondiscrimination ordinances that cover anything other than federally protected categories.
The only North Carolina city that had passed an LGBT non-discrimination law was Charlotte.
Two North Carolina jurisdictions, however, have nondiscrimination ordinances — the city of Greensboro and Orange County, which includes Chapel Hill.
Those cities passed laws to prevent discrimination against veterans more than 25 years to protect vets returning from the unpopular War in Vietnam. Along with Charlotte’s ordinance protecting LGBTs, these ordinances were wiped off the books when Gov. Pat McCrory signed HB2 into law.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a veteran who served in the Marine Corps, wrote to McCrory urging repeal of HB2 and pointing out the damage it could do to veterans.
“By signing HB2 into law you legalized discrimination against North Carolinians who put their lives on the line in service to our country,” he wrote.
