The NCAA deciding to pull tournaments from North Carolina does not signal a time to celebrate. Nothing has been won or accomplished. House Bill 2 is still on the books and our governor is shamelessly touting his bigoted agenda across the state.
Despite this, North Carolina has a lot to be proud of. “#WeAreNotThis” has emerged as a rallying cry against HB2, highlighting the wonderful aspects of our state. But this bill is killing the culture of the state.
NCAA tournaments bring excitement and tourism to the Triangle every year. Now, athletes and fans will have to travel longer distances to compete and spectate.
This goes well beyond any sport.
Gov. McCrory claims liberals see this as a victory in an alleged ideological war against “common sense.” Because of his willful ignorance, he fails to see that the entire state is suffering.
The loss of the tournaments, jobs and the subsequently damaged reputation of our state impacts conservatives and liberals indiscriminately.
To make matters worse, the state has drawn from emergency funds to fight for HB2, thus affecting the state’s resources if any emergency strikes.
Yet the people who have the most to lose are the transgender North Carolinians who must live under a regressive law and face the same economic effects of lost opportunity.
Clearly, there are not any real winners here.
