Why compromise now, Mayor?

Now, Jennifer?

Now, it’s OK to rescind Charlotte’s “Pee Whereever you Want” ordinance?

Now, it’s OK to take a deal that will see the Republican legislature and lame duck governor roll back their noxious H-Pee-Two, which said “Pee according to the plumbing you were born with”?

After so much damage has been done?

After Charlotte and North Carolina have been made the Beavis and Buttheads of so many jokes?

Now, you’re willing to take to heart the notion that politics is about compromise?

What changed, Mayor?

What has changed since February, when you and council members were advised (and surely knew anyway) that the Atillas in Raleigh would never stand for Charlotte adding gay and transgender people to the list of groups protected against discrimination. That they’d never go along with letting people use the bathroom they’re most comfortable in?

What has changed since May, when a deal was floated that would have seen Raleigh repeal HB2 if Charlotte rolled back its ordinance?

What has changed since September, when another such deal was dismissed by the city?

What has changed since November – Ah.

So that’s it.

Since November 8, or more accurately since December 5, what has changed?

Roy Cooper will be the next governor of North Carolina.

Your mayoral ancestor, Mr. McCrory, has been evicted from the mansion by voters and will be replaced by your fellow Democrat, Mr. Cooper.

Is that really why you pushed for the Charlotte ordinance and then refused to find a reasonable compromise, Mayor? That’s been suggested all along. Was it just a ploy to drive your partisans to the polls, as Amendment One was for North Carolina Republicans in 2012?

Theories of behavior suggest we can deduce motive before the fact by actions after. Your change in stance on a Repeal-Rollback-Reset coming comfortably after McCrory had thrown in the towel doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Over the many maddening months of the “Who Can Pee Where” and HB2 swirl, plenty of blame has been placed squarely on the square-headed over-reaching Republicans in the legislature, and our spineless governor. Rightly so. And Charlotte has, or should have, the right (and responsibility) to say gay and transgender people shouldn’t be subject to discrimination because of who they are any moreso than other people.

But you, Madame Mayor, having been willing to put Charlotte through all it has been through because of this battle, to turn and take an always-on-the-table alternate approach only now, when it suits you politically, is deeply selfish and cynical.

Some say the timing of this move is strategic, that you’ll have a better chance of getting a future LGBT ordinance past a hostile legislature, and therefore of being re-elected, with “a friendly governor.” You’d better hope Roy Cooper is friendly.

Friendly enough to put you on the payroll when voters send you the same notice they sent Pat McCrory.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Why compromise now, Mayor?."