TheComeback- Of all the boycotts over North Carolina’s HB2 legislation—which eliminated anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people and legislated who could use which bathroom—the ACC’s was among the most powerful.
The conference (along with the NCAA) decreed that until the state repealed the law, it would not hold any events in North Carolina. Eventually, the state replaced HB2 with another bill, which felt more palatable despite having similar outcomes, and the ACC relented on its boycott. Now, North Carolina representatives Bert Jones, Chris Millis, Mark Brody and Jeff Collins (all Republicans) have proposed a bill that would make sure the conference never boycotts again. The legislation states that if “a conference within an intercollegiate athletic association” enacts a boycott on the state, any public school in that conference will send notice that it “intends to withdraw from the conference no later than when the assignment of its media rights expire.” ------- Personally, I don't give a shit where anyone - regardless of their sexual orientation or level of gender fluidity - relieves themselves. I am never more goal oriented than when I am in a public restroom, and it results in me keeping my blinders up for the entirety of my stay. I don't even think being in favor of transgendered people pissing where they please makes me progressive. I think it makes me a normal human being that has no interest in scouring any and all in-use urinals for anatomic inconsistencies. That being said, I have to give credit to North Carolina legislators. Their view on biologically accurate bathroom visits may (rightfully) seem antiquated to some and offensive to others, but I'll be damned if they haven't stuck with it. Threatening to pull a storied program that's coming off a National Championship from it's well decorated conference in a state that lives and breathes college basketball? Putting rivalries that have lasted multiple decades at risk in order to uphold the integrity of the 'Sex' label on birth certificates? It's not a hill that I would choose to die on, but you have got to respect the doggedness with which they are fighting the masses atop it in hopes of playing as many games as possible in LGBT unfriendly arenas. Potentially relinquishing two spots in the ACC? Pheeeew, can't tell me these radical, right wing wack-a-doos don't have their priorities in order. It's not often that the NCAA loses leverage, but when they do it's to politicians whose bill - if passed - couldn't legally be put into practice until the current media deal runs out.........in 2026.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2020
|