Charlotte Observer Logo

SC Gov. Haley: Transgender bathroom bill unnecessary | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Local

SC Gov. Haley: Transgender bathroom bill unnecessary

By Andrew Shain

ashain@thestate.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 07, 2016 03:46 PM

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley said Thursday that a bill that would limit what bathrooms transgender people can choose is unnecessary because her office has received no complaints about the issue and South Carolinians already are respectful to people from different backgrounds.

“I don’t believe it’s necessary,” she told reporters. “There’s not one instance that I’m aware of.

“When we look at our situation, we’re not hearing of anybody’s religious liberties that are being violated, and we’re again not hearing any citizens that are being violated in terms of freedoms,” she said. “Like it or not, South Carolina is doing really well when it comes to respect and when it comes to kindness and when it comes to acceptance. For people to imply it’s not, I beg to differ.”

The Lexington Republican cited the peaceful reaction after shootings in North Charleston and Charleston last year that involved white gunmen killing unarmed African-Americans.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Even though the bill sponsored by state Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, deals with rights of people based on their gender identity, Haley mentioned South Carolina passing a law in 1999 that allows business owners to exercise their religious rights several times during her news conference.

Asked to explain an apparent contradiction, the governor said religious-freedom advocates see people using the bathroom opposite from their birth gender as a violation of their rights.

“They very much see this as something that goes against their religious beliefs,” she said.

Bright said his proposal is “totally different from a religious-freedom bill.”

“I think it’s a public-safety issue,” Bright said referring to concerns that male predators are allowed to enter women’s restrooms without a state law.

Transgender advocates have said those fears are a myth, and that transgender men and women use public restrooms everyday with no problems or disruptions.

Several states have passed or are considering anti-gay laws, which has led to some outcry by businesses.

Most notable are North Carolina, which passed HB2 banning local laws protecting employment and housing rights based on sexual orientation and identity, and Mississippi, which passed a law allowing businesses to refuse service to customers based on the owners’ religious beliefs.

“While other states are having this battle, this is not a battle that we’ve seen is needed in South Carolina,” Haley said. “And it’s not something that we see that citizens are asking for in South Carolina.”

Haley questioned whether Bright’s proposal, introduced Wednesday, would win passage in the Senate before the May 1 deadline for a bill to crossover to the S.C. House.

“Nothing is going to happen with the bill this year,” she said.

Bright, whose bill got three new co-sponsors, said meeting the crossover deadline will be difficult, but he expects support for his bill to grow. The N.C. Legislature passed its anti-gay bill in less than a day last month during a special session.

  Comments  

Videos

Mine shaft found under Charlotte house

Rookie USA Kids Fashion Show features celebrities in Charlotte

View More Video

Trending Stories

NC judge throws out voter ID and income tax constitutional amendments

February 22, 2019 05:38 PM

Rick Siskey Ponzi scheme victims win final approval for payment of ‘major settlement’

February 22, 2019 02:59 PM

Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

February 22, 2019 07:44 AM

The moment of truth in the 9th District election fraud hearing

February 22, 2019 11:07 AM

Dan McCready kicks off campaign, a day after officials order new 9th district vote

February 22, 2019 02:00 PM

things to do

Read Next

Rock slide closes Interstate 40 in NC mountains. Here’s how long detours will remain

North Carolina

Rock slide closes Interstate 40 in NC mountains. Here’s how long detours will remain

By Joe Marusak

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 12:07 PM

Interstate 40 drivers in the North Carolina mountains near Tennessee face detours after a rock slide closed the highway. A 500 foot wide area near Hurricane Creek must be stabilized, NCDOT officials said

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LOCAL

Man found dead in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. Someone shot him, police say

Crime

Man found dead in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. Someone shot him, police say

February 23, 2019 11:20 AM
United Methodists pray and brace for decision on same-sex marriage and gay clergy

Local

United Methodists pray and brace for decision on same-sex marriage and gay clergy

February 22, 2019 02:31 PM
Bennett College files a lawsuit in an effort to keep its accreditation

Local

Bennett College files a lawsuit in an effort to keep its accreditation

February 22, 2019 03:53 PM
NC sheriff’s deputy accused of assaulting his estranged wife, authorities say

Crime

NC sheriff’s deputy accused of assaulting his estranged wife, authorities say

February 22, 2019 06:56 PM
Overtime pay for NC prison workers skyrockets, raising safety concerns

Local

Overtime pay for NC prison workers skyrockets, raising safety concerns

February 22, 2019 09:18 AM
Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

Local

Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

February 22, 2019 07:44 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story