North Carolina sues Justice Department over transgender bathroom law
North Carolina filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice on Monday to defend a state law that prevents members of the transgender community from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
The lawsuit comes a week after the Justice Department sent a letter to the state saying that the law violates the Civil Rights Act. The department gave North Carolina until Monday to "remedy the situation."
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Instead, Gov. Pat McCrory dug in his heels, both with the lawsuit and in a speech he made on Monday.
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McCrory indicated that the state had asked for a longer response time to the DOJ's letter.
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The state's lawsuit calls the DOJ's position a "radical reinterpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act."
North Carolina's decision to sue is an attempt to fight a backlash against the new law that continues to grow.
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The CEOs of dozens of major companies across the country -- including Apple, Google, Airbnb, and many others -- signed a letter condemning the law soon after it became legal in March.
Musicians such as Bruce Springsteen have since cancelled performances in the state, which seen a dip in tourism revenue. Charlotte alone has lost around $2.5 million due to cancelled conventions.
"Some things are more important than a rock show," Springsteen said in a statement announcing the cancellation in April. "This fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them."
Should North Carolina carry on with its lawsuit, the state could stand to lose millions more in federal government money provided to its universities.
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Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
