What is the deal with North Carolina’s ‘Bathroom Bill’ [HB 2]

*Update* – NC sues feds over HB 2 

United States Department of justice lawyers gave the state of North Carolina just three business days to respond to a letter that asked whether or not the state and its universities intend to stop enforcing a new law that takes the government out of their bathrooms.

House Bill 2 (HB 2) reversed a Charlotte, NC ordinance that forced businesses and schools to allow people to use whichever bathroom, locker room or shower they wanted, regardless of their biological sex. HB 2 prevents cities and counties from making such ordinances and allows businesses to decide for themselves who should use which facility.

The DOJ letter portends that the state will be sued for civil rights violations against transgender people – who, at this time, are not a protected class.

“We can definitely define the race of people. It’s very hard to define transgender or gender identity,” McCrory said.

In fact, Facebook has at least 58 possible gender identities defined for users to choose from:

• Agender
• Androgyne
• Androgynous
• Bigender
• Cis
• Cisgender
• Cis Female
• Cis Male
• Cis Man
• Cis Woman
• Cisgender Female
• Cisgender Male
• Cisgender Man
• Cisgender Woman
• Female to Male
• FTM
• Gender Fluid
• Gender Nonconforming
• Gender Questioning
• Gender Variant
• Genderqueer
• Intersex
• Male to Female
• MTF
• Neither
• Neutrois
• Non-binary
• Other
• Pangender
• Trans
• Trans*
• Trans Female
• Trans* Female
• Trans Male
• Trans* Male
• Trans Man
• Trans* Man
• Trans Person
• Trans* Person
• Trans Woman
• Trans* Woman
• Transfeminine
• Transgender
• Transgender Female
• Transgender Male
• Transgender Man
• Transgender Person
• Transgender Woman
• Transmasculine
• Transsexual
• Transsexual Female
• Transsexual Male
• Transsexual Man
• Transsexual Person
• Transsexual Woman
• Two-Spirit

Pat McCrory sat down with Chris Wallace to discuss the last minute letter, HB2 and how his administration intends to deal with the request.