Christians Demand Veto Of North Carolina’s HB 2
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James Rowe
Director, Believe Out Loud
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Christians Demand Veto Of North Carolina’s HB 2
LGBTQ-Affirming Christians Support LGBTQ People In North Carolina
New York, NY—In less than 12 hours, North Carolina’s General Assembly introduced and passed HB 2, a bill that not only outlaws local non-discrimination policies—it aggressively targets transgender people and even attacks the minimum wage.
In response, Christians in North Carolina and across the country are rallying together to demand Governor Pat McCrory veto HB 2.
“As a pastor, I have seen the harm done to transgender people through discrimination and lack of understanding. I know the fear that many of them live with,” says Rev. Julie Peeples, Senior Pastor of Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro. “There is nothing Christian about perpetuating myths and creating more fear. Please stop trying to score political points by targeting those already vulnerable.”
Earlier this week, lawmakers called a special legislative session claiming they wanted to overturn Charlotte’s new non-discrimination ordinance. In particular, North Carolina legislators relied on scare tactics to undermine the provision of Charlotte’s ordinance that would ensure transgender and gender non-conforming people have access to bathrooms that correspond with who they are.
Vivian Taylor, a transgender woman and Iraqi War veteran, told legislators why protections like the ones passed in Charlotte are important: “Transgender folks face incredible amounts of violence. These protections do the basic moral job of looking out for people and keeping them safe.”
HB 2 joins the ranks of more than 150 anti-LGBTQ bill proposed across the country. Of these proposed bills, 79 misuse religion to justify harm against LGBTQ people, and 44 specifically target trans and gender nonconforming people. In response, Believe Out Loud is mobilizing Christians to send a clear message that God’s love extends to ALL of God’s beloved children.
About Believe Out Loud
Believe Out Loud is an online community that empowers Christians to work for justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Reaching an average of 3–5 million people per month, Believe Out Loud is the leading platform in Christian faith and LGBTQ advocacy. Believe Out Loud is a program of Intersections International.