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- Good morning and thank you for being here.
I'm Chris Sgro and I represent Greensboro
and the North Carolina Statehouse.
Yesterday along with Representatives Alexander, Fisher
and Harrison, I introduced the Equality for All Act.
This legislation is the most comprehensive set of
nondiscrimination protections ever introduced in the
North Carolina General Assembly
and would extend common sense rights in the areas of
housing, employment, education and public accommodations
on the basis of *** orientation, gender identity,
veteran status, familial status.
North Carolina is a welcome and inclusive State
and our laws should reaffirm that.
Most of you know that I am a gay North Carolinian,
and while the vast majority of Tar Heelers would never
discriminate against me, based on my *** orientation,
and in fact believe that these protections already exist,
it remains true the discrimination unfortunately
find its way, into all walks of life.
You can still be legally fired for who you are
or who you love in North Carolina.
You can still be denied housing if you are a transgender
man or woman in many parts of our State.
And a restaurant can still to refuse to serve you
because of your veteran status or if they perceive you
to be gay or lesbian.
These protections against discrimination are
important updates, to many North Carolinians
and the vast majority of Americans support.
Our bill nears protections already enacted statewide
in 19 other US States.
They're a best practice for equality, fairness and business.
It's past time that North Carolina includes these protected
classes in our States laws.
Our vibrant and innovative State should truly reflect our
values of inclusion.
And let us call out the elephant in the room,
House Bill 2, has expose like never before,
the need for North Carolina to be an open and inclusive
State.
Representatives Jackson, Meyer, Martin and Hamilton have
a repeal bill in the House and there is a companion bill
in the Senate, which would strike down House Bill 2,
the worst anti-LGBT, anti-worker, anti-education
bill our State has ever seen.
That bill must pass, we must repeal House Bill 2.
It is the next crucial step to protect North Carolina.
But the debate is also exposed, that just going back
to business as usual, is not enough.
We must also pass the Equality for All Act
and ensure true State of nondiscrimination.
It is a Civil Rights issue, everyone should have basic
access to education, housing, employment and other areas.
No one should be turned away from a Main Street business
or a public facility because of who they were born to be,
but it is also a business issue.
The passage of House Bill 2,
has greatly damaged the reputation of our State,
and our crown jewel university system.
If we really want to be the State that keeps
the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte,
wins back NCAA tournaments at my home Greensboro Coliseum,
attracts the next PayPal expansion
or keeps winning the business of tourist to our World-Class
mountains and coast, we must pass these common sense
protections against discrimination.
Not only are these anti-discrimination measures of best
practice in other States, they're as well in Fortune 500's
and Main Street businesses across our State.
The damage done to our State by this body's race to
pass House Bill 2, has been terrible to watch.
And only this body and Governor McCrory can fix that
at this point.
We can fix it right now by repealing House Bill 2
with the passage of Darren Jackson's bill and by passing
this legislation, the Equality for All Act.
And we can make our State a place where people live,
work and play in a true place of equality.
We can once again make North Carolina where the weak grow
strong and the strong grow great.