North Carolina has been the focal point of the LGBT debate since a controversial legislation limiting the rights of LGBT individuals was hastily passed a few weeks ago. Today, however, Gov. Pat McCrory decided to sign an executive order that lightens the effects of the infamous bill - albeit just a little.
Specifically, the N.C. governor decided to restore the rights of LGBT individuals to sue for discrimination. In his announcement, he described the decision as a means to expand on the state's employment policy in order to emphasize sexual orientation and gender identity.
"Simply put, I have listened to the people of North Carolina, and the people of North Carolina are entitled to both privacy and equality. We can and we must achieve both of these goals," McCrory said.
Critics, however, remain unimpressed, mostly due to the fact that the most controversial aspect of the law, which mandates that transgender individuals be required to use bathrooms which corresponded to the gender listed on their birth certificate, remains intact.
Roy Cooper, a Democrat and McCrory's opponent in the upcoming elections, honed in on the executive order, stating that the move is ultimately insufficient, with the added bonus of keeping the discrimination in the state pretty much intact.
"Gov. McCrory's executive order is a day late and a veto short," he said. "The sweeping discrimination law he signed has already cost North Carolina hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue. I'm glad Gov. McCrory has finally acknowledged the great damage his legislation has done, but he needs to do much more."
Sarah Preston, acting executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, also expressed her disappointment over the governor's efforts.
"Gov. McCrory's actions today are a poor effort to save face after his sweeping attacks on the LGBT community, and they fall far short of correcting the damage done when he signed into law the harmful House Bill 2," she said.
Immediately after the bill was passed, numerous high-profile companies criticized the decision, including tech giants Apple and Google, as well as other prominent firms. Critics then were quick to point out that the bill would end up costing the state millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.
Indeed, PayPal and Deutsche Bank, two very prominent financial firms, canceled planned expansion in the state due to the presence of the law. Even the NBA, which is scheduled to conduct an All-Star game in Charlotte, is reportedly thinking of pulling out.
