North Carolina governor’s revisions to 'anti-LGBT' law called 'a poor effort to save face'

Gov McCrory issued an executive order Tuesday to change part of the controversial law

Transgender people will still be required to use restrooms based on gender assigned at birth

Advocates are calling an executive order issued by North Carolina’s governor to change — not repeal — a controversial new law that affects the LGBT community a “poor effort to save face.”

North Carolina’s governor issued an executive order rolled back some provisions of House Bill 2 (HB2), a bill passed by legislators and signed into law by Gov Pat McCrory late March.

Mr McCrory announced his order to restore the ability of workers to sue in cases of employment bias in state courts — originally removed by HB2 — but still requires transgender people to use restrooms based on their biological gender assignment in state facilities, including colleges and universities.

“Gov McCrory’s actions today … fall short of correcting the damage done when he signed into law the harmful House Bill 2, which stigmatizes and mandates discrimination against gay and transgender people,” Sarah Preston, acting executive director of the ACLU of North Carolina, said in a statement.

“With this executive order, LGBT individuals still lack legal protections from discrimination and transgender people are still explicitly targeted by being forced to use the wrong restroom.”

Mr McCrory told the Associated Press he made the decision to change the law “after hearing from many, many different sides of the issue.”

The state of North Carolina received considerable backlash following Mr McCrory’s passage of the bill. Numerous states — including New York, Vermont, and Washington — have banned state-funded travel to the Tar Heel state.

State Attorney General Roy Cooper refused to defend the law in court, calling it a “national embarrassment.”

Subsequently, Paypal announced it would not be opening a global operations centre in Charlotte, costing the state some 400 potential jobs.

And rock musician Bruce Springsteen cancelled an upcoming performance in the state in protest of HB2.

Shortly after the bill’s passage into law, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and Equality NC filed a federal lawsuit against North Carolina.