Charlotte protected LGBTQ+ people. There’s much more work to do.
As a Charlotte resident and a transgender man, I am thrilled to see Charlotte City Council vote Aug. 9 to pass a strong nondiscrimination ordinance protecting people in our city from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and natural hairstyle.
By becoming the tenth community in our state to pass an ordinance like this, the Queen City is showing unequivocally that North Carolina is ready to protect LGBTQ people.
The vote reflects how far our city, state and nation have journeyed on support for the LGBTQ community, and especially transgender people, in the past five years. In 2016, Charlotte tried doing the right thing by passing an inclusive ordinance, only to see it blocked by the N.C. General Assembly’s cruel bathroom bill (HB2), which specifically targeted transgender people by villifying us and restricting our access to public restrooms. HB2 set off a nasty chapter for North Carolina, making our state ground zero for anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
Since the passage of HB2, six Black trans women have been killed in Charlotte, building on the already-high rates of violence, discrimination and poverty that Black trans people disproportionately face.
Sadly, the largest city in North Carolina has become the second most dangerous city in the country for transgender and gender nonconforming people. We cannot deny the direct impact that the hateful HB2 had in promoting violence toward my community.
But look where we are now: Charlotte has committed to making the city a safer place to live and work for LGBTQ people and people of color. Ten communities have issued full-throated declarations that North Carolina is a state where LGBTQ people are safe and valued. We’ve come full circle, receiving legal protections that we always needed and deserved.
When I came out as transgender in 2014, I found the most support through my family and Charlotte’s diversity — two reasons why I’ve never left the city. Since coming out, these have been some of the best years of my life because I can be myself. But in the back of my mind I was always aware that being my authentic self could lead to discrimination and violence. As the trans liaison for Charlotte Black Pride, I’ve seen firsthand how safe, affirming spaces can make a major difference., but LGBTQ people should be able to go about their daily lives without worrying. That’s what this vote will help manifest.
The nondiscrimination ordinance does not just affect the LGBTQ community. It’s not a gay thing, it’s not a Black or white thing, it’s not a partisan thing. This ordinance is about bringing the people of Charlotte together to state that no human being should be looked upon as less than, that we are all worthy of dignity and respect. It makes our entire city stronger.
I want to thank City Council members for stepping up and advocates and allies for illustrating that Charlotte is ready for inclusive protections.
Now other leaders across the state must recognize the urgent need for protections like these. Even as we celebrate that our city has joined others in combating anti-LGBTQ discrimination, I can’t help but think of my LGBTQ siblings in the state without these protections. People are still vulnerable.
The most comprehensive path to dignity and equality for all LGBTQ North Carolinians is through the passage of nondiscrimination protections at the federal level. I urge our U.S. senators from North Carolina, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, to look at what happened in Charlotte — to see that our local leaders recognized a need and took action. Momentum is building for federal legislation that would get all N.C. communities on the same page and grant all North Carolinians the same sense of safety, security and respect that I finally feel here in Charlotte.
It’s time: We must look to Charlotte as a blueprint for the rest of our state and country. We must pass these protections for every LGBTQ person, no matter where they live. Our people can no longer wait.
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.