Ah Yes… The Same Old Stuff

When politicians try to do the right thing, what does the opposition do? They bring up bathrooms of course. The latest attack on us peeing in peace is in North Carolina,

Charlotte City Manager Carlee clarifies city’s transgender restroom policy
The Charlotte Observer
By Mark Price
May 3, 2015

The most contentious part of Charlotte’s recent debate over LGBT rights – transgender bathroom use – has resurfaced with an unexpected revelation.

In March, the Charlotte City Council rejected a nondiscrimination proposal that would have forced private businesses to accommodate lesbian, gay and transgender people. The proposal drew protests over a provision that gave transgender people access to the restroom of their gender identity at any place of public accommodation, including city property.

But it turns out the city is already following that approach at its own facilities.

City Manager Ron Carlee says transgender employees and visitors not only have the right to use the restroom of their gender identity in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, but also in other city-owned facilities such as Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Ovens Auditorium, Bojangles’ Arena and the convention center. The latter three are owned by the city but managed by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Bureau, which confirmed the practice.

And who helped lead the opposition? Any guesses?

The Rev. Mark Harris, a Charlotte pastor who helped organize the opposition, said the city’s approach is confusing and disappointing to conservatives who feel they won a victory when the proposed nondiscrimination ordinance failed.

“It’s been about eight weeks or less since the City Council dealt with this issue in what all of us know was a very challenging, emotionally grueling experience for both sides,” Harris said.

Surprise, surprise!

Maybe the City Council realized that to do otherwise would have resulted in EEOC fines and Title VII violations, not to mention possible Fourteenth Amendment law suits.