Jed York calls on governor to repeal controversial LGBT law

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While in North Carolina this week for the NFL owners meetings, 49ers CEO Jed York extended a gift of $75,000 to a statewide organization that seeks equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. He also urged the governor of the state to repeal a recently passed controversial law.

Equality NC announced in a press release that York chose to meet with advocates and transgender North Carolinians to learn more about the negative impact of the new law.

The law is known as HB 2, the Charlotte bathroom bill or the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act. Under the state law, transgender people who have not taken surgical and legal steps to change the gender documented on their birth certificates have no legal right to access public restrooms of the gender with which they identify.

In addition, the law sets a statewide definition of classes of people who are protected against discrimination: race, religion, color, national origin, age, handicap or biological sex as designated on a person’s birth certificate.

"The San Francisco 49ers are deeply concerned about North Carolina’s recently-enacted House Bill 2, which overturned protections for LGBT people and sanctioned discrimination across the state,” York said in a statement released by Equality NC. “HB 2 does not reflect the values of our organization, of our country, or the majority of North Carolinians.

“We firmly believe that discriminatory laws such as HB 2 are bad for our employees, bad for our fans, and bad for business. We believe that HB 2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the country. It will also diminish the state’s draw as a destination for sporting events, tourism and conventions, and new business activity.


“Discrimination is wrong, and we believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our country. As an organization that prides ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming to all, we strongly urge Governor Pat McCrory and the leadership of North Carolina’s legislature to repeal this law in the current legislative session."

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