Transgender activists call on council to stand firm on anti-discrimination ordinance
About two dozen transgender activists and supporters Monday called on the Charlotte City Council to stand firm on its anti-discrimination ordinance and for state lawmakers to repeal the bill that nullified the ordinance.
The morning news conference took place in front of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, where the council could vote later Monday whether to repeal the ordinance.
Under a proposal being considered by some council members, they would essentially repeal the ordinance. In exchange, the legislature would modify some of HB2, the controversial law that, along with other provisions, requires people in government facilities to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates.
“I don’t think there’s a compromise when you’re talking about people’s lives,” Crystal Richardson, advocacy director for Equality NC, told the Observer.
A handful of transgender activists, as well as parents of transgender youth, told their own stories.
“It’s important to know that transition is not a choice,” said the Rev. Dawn Flynn, a transgender woman and Charlotte minister.
Jim Morrill: 704-358-5059, @jimmorrill
This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Transgender activists call on council to stand firm on anti-discrimination ordinance."