NCAA Returns to North Carolina Despite Outcry By Rights Groups

The NCAA has “reluctantly” agreed to bring championship games back to North Carolina
in the wake of the (sort of) repeal of HB2. Photo: Aspen Photo / Shutterstock.com

After North Carolina passed its controversial House Bill 2, which required transgender people to use the bathroom of the sex assigned on their birth certificate, and not the gender with which they identified, the NCAA barred the state from hosting championship events. On March 30, the state finally repealed HB2, and the NCAA fulfilled its promise to once again allow the state to host these games.

The decision has been met with derision by many rights groups however, as the state did not simply repeal HB2. They put into place new legislation “banning cities from passing their own anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people until 2020.” In effect, state and municipal governments can still pass discriminatory laws, and cities that oppose such laws can’t do anything about them. 

Human rights groups such as the ACLU and Athlete Ally have criticized the NCAA for its actions, since the state of North Carolina repealed one law but put into place another, broader law aimed at oppressing the LGBT community.

The NCAA was the most prominent group that boycotted North Carolina over HB2, and since it stepped back from its boycott, it’s possible that other groups will as well. However, the NCAA’s board of governors said it would have preferred an unconditional repeal of HB2 and that a majority of the board “reluctantly” decided to return to North Carolina.

Some groups were not impressed with the NCAA’s decision, reluctant or not.

“By rewarding North Carolina with championship games, the NCAA has undermined its credibility and is sending a dangerous message to lawmakers across the country who are targeting LGBTQ people with discriminatory state legislation,” JoDee Winterhof, a senior official with the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.