A deal to repeal North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ law, HB 2, failed to materialize on Wednesday. The city of Charlotte upheld their side of the bargain and repealed their nondiscrimination ordinance on Tuesday after an agreement with the Legislature was reached to repeal HB 2. Negotiations unraveled as Senators added discriminatory amendments that could not garner a majority vote.

Ian Palmquist, Senior Director of Programs at Equality Federation and North Carolina resident attended the hearings. “I’m deeply ashamed for my state. Speaker Moore and President Pro Temp Berger lied to our state and promised full repeal. They gave us nothing and proved their inability to govern. Their failure brings more shame and economic fallout on our state. Other states should take heed of the repercussions North Carolina will sadly continue to face. I am sad and angry that LGBTQ people—especially transgender North Carolinians—must continue to live under this discriminatory law,” he said.

Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director, said, “The shameful actions of North Carolina’s Senate Republicans today to maintain and even promote discrimination on the taxpayers’ dime is an outrage. We won’t stop until everyone is able to live free from the fear of discrimination. Now more than ever our work to advance comprehensive nondiscrimination protections at the city and state level all across the nation is of urgent importance.”

Chris Sgro, Executive Director of Equality North Carolina, sent this message to supporters:

It’s been 275 days since the passage of House Bill 2. Over the course of today’s special session, they had the opportunity to repeal this disastrous legislation in full and once and for all begin to fix the harms it inflicts.
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HB2 targets LGBTQ North Carolinians for discrimination and violence every single day. The legislature came back to simply repeal this bill and allow our state to go about the business of protecting all of our citizens. Instead, Phil Berger and Tim Moore decided to play political games with lives and the livelihood of our state.
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I am bitterly disappointed in their failure of leadership and believe that the 2017 special elections must be an opportunity to remove them from power. Only once HB2 is repealed in full can we protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, and it must be our priority to repeal that bill now. Not a day more can go by, and each that does, we are reminded that our legislature has failed us and all people of this great state.