North Carolina Loses NBA All- Star Game Over Anti-LGBT Law

It was expected to put $100M into Charlotte-area economy
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 21, 2016 5:25 PM CDT
North Carolina Loses NBA All- Star Game Over Anti-LGBT Law
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Thursday that the All-Star Game will no longer be held in North Carolina due to the state's anti-LGBT legislation.   (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

The NBA, following through on a threat made months ago, has pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of North Carolina over concerns about the state's anti-LGBT legislation, USA Today reports. “We were frankly hoping that they would make some steps toward modifying the legislation, and frankly I was disappointed that they didn’t,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver says. North Carolina passed a bill in March that forces transgender people to use the restroom corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate, according to Yahoo! Sports. It also forbids cities and other municipalities from passing anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people. The Charlotte Observer quotes a statement issued Thursday by the NBA that says the law goes against its "core values," including "diversity, inclusion, fairness, and respect for others."

After passing the law, North Carolina has been protested by everyone from Pearl Jam to a porn website. And the NBA had been pressuring the state to change or repeal the law in the hopes of keeping the All-Star Game in Charlotte. The All-Star Game, which is scheduled for February, would have been the biggest event in Charlotte since 2012. The loss of it will have what Yahoo! calls a "dramatic" economic impact. The event was expected to inject up to $100 million into the local economy. A decision on a new location for the All-Star Game will be made sometime in the coming weeks, but New Orleans appears to be a leading contender. (More bathroom bill stories.)

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