N.C. Attorney General Won’t Defend ‘Unconstitutional’ LGBTQ Law In Court
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced today that despite a lawsuit challenging the North Carolina bathroom bill in court, he won’t defend the discriminatory bill. Attorney General Roy Cooper reiterated his opposition to the bill during a press conference this morning during which he characterized the bathroom bill as discriminatory and unconstitutional. The North Carolina Attorney General reminded the assembled press that businesses throughout North Carolina and the U.S. oppose the bill and that he has no plans to defend the bathroom bill in court.
“We should not be here today, but we are. Over the last 15 years our office has defended the state, its officials and agencies when they’ve been sued. Our office will continue to do that, except it will not defend the constitutionality of the discrimination in House Bill 2,” said Attorney General Roy Cooper this morning, expressing his opposition to the bathroom bill that was signed into law by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory last week.
Cuomo Bans Non-Essential State Travel To North Carolina Over Transgender Bathroom Bill https://t.co/AwuSV03c0e
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) March 29, 2016
The bathroom bill, as the Inquisitr previously reported, is widely opposed throughout North Carolina and the United States at large. Just after it was signed into law, it was challenged in a lawsuit filed this week, which names North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper as a defendant. Cooper stated that despite being named in the lawsuit, he has no plans to defend the constitutionality of the law, which he claims is blatantly discriminatory in nature.
“Discrimination is wrong, period. The governor and the legislature should repeal this law. In order to protect our non-discrimination policy and employees along with those of our client, the state treasurer’s office, part of our argument will be that House Bill 2 is unconstitutional. Therefore [the Attorney General’s office] will not represent the defendants in this lawsuit, nor future lawsuits involving the constitutionality of House Bill 2,” said North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper this morning, reaffirming his opposition to the bathroom bill and officially refusing to defend the law in court.
It’s not the first time North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has opposed a law passed by the North Carolina legislature. In 2014, Roy Cooper, acting as Attorney General of North Carolina, refused to defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban, which he also characterized as discriminatory in nature and unconstitutional. In that case, Attorney General Roy Cooper was correct, as the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled state-level same-sex marriage bans last year, effectively overturning the North Carolina ban on same-sex marriage.
ACLU, LGBT civil rights groups file lawsuit over North Carolina's horrid new bathroom bill https://t.co/fT8Lwbc0qe
— Jezebel (@Jezebel) March 28, 2016
“We’re grateful the attorney general stands on the right side of history with the many cities, states, businesses, and individuals who have come out against this harmful measure,” read a joint statement from the ACLU of North Carolina and numerous LGBTQ groups.
Governor Pat McCrory has remained firm in her support of the bathroom bill, telling NBC News on Monday that the bill isn’t discriminatory and that it simply seeks to establish bathroom etiquette.
“I empathize with these people who have some very unique needs. But at the same time it doesn’t mean everyone else should have to compromise a well-established etiquette of men in men’s locker rooms,” said North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory in an interview with NBC News on Monday.
McCrory has been a vocal supporter of the bathroom bill despite the massive outcry against the measure which has been characterized as anti-transgender. Following North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s announcement today, North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger called for Cooper’s immediate resignation.
“Roy Cooper’s refusal to defend the law makes clear he wants the ACLU to win by default in federal court what they can’t win at the ballot box and allow men to walk into locker rooms at YMCAs across the country and undress in front of young girls,” said North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger today.
[Photo by Chuck Burton/AP]
