It’s hard to keep up with the regressive state laws that threaten the people’s health and quality of life. Women, LGBT individuals, and people of color are popular targets. There may be a silver lining though. Just this morning, the NY Times reported corporate sponsors are thinking twice as groups mobilize to #dumpTrump, demanding that corporations separate themselves from Trump and the Republican National Convention. Coke already shrunk its $ substantially. More sponsors are expected to join in. Kind of makes me hungry for a Coke, all that sugar and all. This is special.
Economic boycotts have also been announced following North Carolina’s passage of the egregious HB2, which eliminates all new LGBT protections. Although it’s been oversimplified into the “bathroom bill”because it disallows transgender people from entering bathrooms of the gender they identify with,it is more wide-reaching, and also takes away legal protections for LGBT individuals in the state. Last February, Charlotte NC passed a nondiscrimination ordinance. That will be made moot with NC Governor Pat McCrory signing the law.
New York State, Vermont, Washington, the City of Seattle, have announced boycotts against the state, and by the time you read this, we’ll see many more. The City of Atlanta has come out punching, saying the NBA’s All-Star Game should be moved out of Charlotte to Atlanta. Tourism, sports money are at stake.
North Carolina is already facing economic woes as a result of its outrageous positions on abortion rights. The Women’s Right to Know Act, passed in 2011, forced women opting for abortions to listen to a narrated ultrasound within 4 hours of a scheduled abortion. The good news is that the State lost a Federal lawsuit to stop this, and they now must pay out $1 million from savings in an emergency fund for legal fees, according to a News & Observer report.
Economic sanctions are proving a lever for change, for getting corporations on the side of the people’s health. Interestingly, Atlanta was at risk of losing rights to the upcoming Super Bowl, given fair warning that passage of its regressive anti-LGBT bill would have repercussions. Then, last week, that bill was not signed into law, a victory for the people of Georgia, and LGBT health and safety.
I always think about the people in states proposing regressive legislation. The Moral Monday movement in North Carolina has been out front for quite awhile objecting to these horrendous laws that harm the public’s health. I applaud the movement. Although I wish that there was a better way than boycotts, I have to say I am delighted that people have been organizing successfully, that businesses are taking note, and that we just might stem the tide of the nasty rhetoric and legislation afoot in many parts of this nation.
Do you have thoughts on how we can restore protections now endangered? Please join the discussion below.