When state legislatures start considering bills that many find to be anti-LGBT, no matter what their authors may claim, gay and lesbian real estate agents begin to get nervous. If these bills pass, LGBT people and their supporters often boycott the state and certainly won’t consider a move there. But it’s important for the LGBT community to know about these bills, even if they do mean a loss of business for Realtors. Let’s take a look at some of the most recent bills that would affect LGBT citizens in negative ways.
North Carolina
North Carolina has been the center of attention for not one, but two different bills. The first, HB 2, is known as the bathroom bill. It would require all students attending state-funded schools to use the bathroom that matches the gender found on their birth certificates. This bill actually nullified an ordinance passed by Charlotte, NC, that banned discrimination based on orientation and gender identity, plus it prevents other cities from passing such ordinances in the future. The bill also prevents cities in the state from raising their minimum wage higher than the state’s set minimum.
Many large companies that operate in North Carolina, including Bank of America, Dow Chemical, and PayPal, came out against the bill. The NBA also stated that they may consider moving the 2017 NBA All-Star game from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte in response.
A federal lawsuit has been filed over HB 2 that lists the state’s governor, attorney general, and other officials and cites that it violates federal laws that ban sex discrimination.
Georgia
In nearby Georgia, another highly contested bill has made waves. This bill, HB 757, is one of those bills that claims to simply protect the religious liberty of faith-based groups. It allows them to deny people service and employment based on their orientation or gender identity. The bill passed both the House and the Senate, putting pressure on Governor Nathan Deal. As more and more companies, including Disney, stated that they would pull out of the state should the bill passed, he announced on Monday the 28th that he would veto it.
In addition to Disney stating that they would stop filming in the state, companies such as SalesForce and Unilever both stated they would reconsider doing business in Georgia. The NFL also said they would reconsider Atlanta as a possible Super Bowl host.