North Carolina's HB2: Assessing the Impact on the Black LGBTQ Community

Abstract

On March 23, 2016, An Act to Provide for Single-Sex Multiple Occupancy Bathroom and Changing Facilities in Schools and Public Agencies and to Create Statewide Consistency in Regulation of Employment and Public Accommodations, or what is commonly known as HB2 became law in North Carolina. HB2 has been referred to by many of its opponents as the most Anti-LGBTQ piece of legislation in the United States. Considering the recent gains and national support for the LGBTQ Community, an anti-LGBTQ measure such as this is problematic. More importantly, knowing that the Black LGBTQ community continues to face high levels of violence and discrimination — despite the gains for LGBTQ community in general — HB2 stands to have a desperate impact on Black LGBTQ population in North Carolina. Thus, this paper, will examine the impact of HB2 on the Black LGBTQ community of North Carolina.

Keywords: LGBTQ, LGBT, HB2, Bathroom Bill, North Carolina, Black LGBTQ, Black LGBT