North Carolina Restroom Law Becomes a Central Election Issue

New York Times ^ | April 25, 2016 | RICHARD FAUSSET

[reaganaut1]

HIGH POINT, N.C. — Parrish Clodfelter, a 79-year-old retiree who lives on a central North Carolina farm, professes opinions about transgender people that might get him fired if he worked for a multinational corporation, though for many here, they constitute simple country wisdom.

“A man wants to change to a woman, he’s got a mental problem,” Mr. Clodfelter said on Wednesday over lunch at Spiro’s Family Restaurant, where posters by the door advertised classes on carrying concealed weapons and a “Hillbilly Sunday” Pentecostal church service.

But Mr. Clodfelter has a different kind of problem. As a longtime Republican, he wants to support Pat McCrory, North Carolina’s Republican governor, in his re-election bid. At the same time, Mr. Clodfelter is worried about the boycotts and lost jobs resulting from the law the governor signed in March that limits transgender bathroom access and eliminates antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people.

If the backlash continues, Mr. Clodfelter said, he will consider voting for Mr. McCrory’s Democratic opponent, Roy Cooper, who supports the law’s repeal.

“I’m afraid if they don’t change it,” he said, “it’ll hurt the state.”

Even before the law tapped into a national debate about transgender rights, privacy and political correctness, North Carolina, the rare Southern state that is evenly split between liberals and conservatives, was considered to be up for grabs in the November presidential race, particularly if Donald J. Trump tops the Republican ticket.

Now the law, and the backlash against it, have introduced a different kind of volatile energy to state politics here, roiling a governor’s race that could be the nation’s most competitive. It is also affecting other crucial contests, including that of Senator Richard Burr, who hopes to fend off a vigorous Democratic challenge from Deborah K. Ross, [former state director of the ACLU].

[Nifster]

From your point of view this law is the biggest deal. Not everyone has the same opinion.

[Maverick68]

The Demos better hope not...Most people are FOR common-sense in this case.

[greene66]

Oh, I fully expect the GOP to cave, to run for the hills, just like they did with faggot-marriage. The GOP’s default position always seems to be to give the complete control of the social agenda to the most crazed idiots of the left. Ignore the plight of bakers, wedding photographers being persecuted, or people losing jobs for not cowtowing to the PC-fascism that now controls America.

Now I’m sure they’ll just again pretend this is not an important issue, and cede everything to the perverts. Such yellow-bellied cowards. I just don’t have the words to fully express the contempt I have for the GOP. Vote for these bastards? Like hell.

[COBOL2Java]

Of course, its the highest on my list of priorities.

Exactly! America's energies must be devoted 110% to potties! For too long have we wasted time on these minor concerns!

Feds released hundreds of immigrant murderers, drunk drivers, sex-crimes convicts

[Vigilanteman]

I’m not saying that. The doofus which this leftist media outlet cherry picked to interview is saying that 30 pieces of corporate silver is so important that he will vote against all the rest of his convictions by crossing the aisle.

[Nifster]

Again that is your take on it. It its not every ones

[GreyFriar]

This new ‘gender neutral’ concept is just opening up women’s bathrooms to rapists and pedofiles.

[Mechanicos]

Might want to invest more in hand Gun sales that market to women...

[bk1000]

“It’s such a stupid position to take and defend.”

I feel it is simply a non-issue that is being pushed by the left so as to further the “intolerant Christian right winger” meme for the election.

[TheDon]

“A man wants to change to a woman, he’s got a mental problem”

It really is that simple.

[magglepuss]

Republicans remind me of that friend you used to have that would be easily goaded into a bar fight, lose, and then self righteously blame you for not jumping in to help. It seems like a lot of Republicans would rather be right than successful.

[Jack Hammer]

Waaaaah!

I wanna go in the girls room and shake my wick at all the little girls....

and I want the government’s imprimatur on my perversions, too.

[Kenny]

The NC law lets men into women’s bathroom. It says that people will use the gender on their birth certificate but if a woman becomes a man (can’t believe I’m saying this) in parts anyway, then the girl/guy can use the women’s bathroom.

Target is all-in for anyone in any bathroom.

[greene66]

I don’t see that analogy working, because I never see the GOP actually ‘fight.’ Whether Obamacare, open-borders, faggot-marriage, the GOP is more like the guy in the bar who runs out the back door at the first sign of a fight. Leaving behind the decent folk to get beaten and raped, by the mob of PC bullies.