House Bill 2 hurts the whole South, not just North Carolina

Divisive legislation has tarnished our beloved Tar Heel State


The American South is a region abundant in beautiful scenery and gracious people. Having been born and raised in rural Eastern North Carolina and educated in the urban capital of Raleigh, I have personal experience with the accepting and diverse culture shared by most citizens here.

“Us Southern folk” have a reputation for being caring and generous people. The term “Southern hospitality” didn’t just appear out of thin air, you know. However, recent divisive and discriminatory legislation out of North Carolina, popularly known as “HB2,” has tarnished our beloved Tar Heel State’s accepting and progressive image and in turn, that of the whole South.

The area I was raised in was surrounded by tobacco and cotton fields, staples of the rural scenery my fellow Southerners know and love. Less than 150 years ago, my ancestors worked their hearts out laboring on Southern plantations for no pay. Only 50 years ago, my grandmother couldn’t go to the same school as white kids.

Slavery and the Jim Crow era are stigmas that will always haunt the South, and discriminatory legislation such as House Bill 2 only bring back those old demons instead of laying them to rest. We Southerners simply don’t want to be associated with such matters anymore.

By now, most people have heard of this law popularly known as the “bathroom bill,” even though many don’t completely understand it or care about it’s implications. This legislation has removed a number of civil protections for those in the transgender and LGBT community. While the use of public bathrooms is discussed as the primary issue, the bill also makes it legal for businesses and other entities to discriminate against certain groups.

The introduction and passage of HB2 by a “special session” of state congress centered nationwide media coverage and public attention on North Carolina, which I can comfortably say has been overwhelmingly negative. The backlash against HB2 has even gone international, as the European Union recently released a statement saying laws such as HB2 “contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a state party, and which states that the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection.”

A protest at UNC-Chapel Hill in NC

The controversy over HB2 will also hurt North Carolina economically, along with the rest of the South. If Charlotte loses the NBA All-Star weekend, as has been threatened, millions of dollars of revenue could be lost. Several major companies such as PayPal have already restricted expansions or halted dealings within the state. Having attended both a public high school and university that frequently dealt with budget cuts, I can state with confidence that we cannot afford to lose this revenue over an unnecessary and discriminatory law.

House Bill 2 is not progress, but a step backwards. It embodies the lack of transparency and social responsibility that causes many of the problems in our nation. It’s not just about people being assigned to a bathroom, it’s about people being classified against their will and denied rights guaranteed to them by the United States Constitution.

I know the South is a wonderful and accepting place – I’ve lived here my whole life and will claim it wherever I go. I just don’t want my home to be known for discrimination and inequality again.