North Carolina House speaker vows to reverse historic LGBT anti-discrimination law

The Charlotte City Council banned discrimination against gays and transgender people on Monday night.

A man speaks against the anti-discrimination ordinance in front of the Charlotte City Council. (AP Images)

Just hours after the city council in Charlotte, North Carolina extended protection against discrimination to gays and transgender people in the city, the speaker of the state's House of Representatives vowed to "correct this radical course."

Speaker Tim Moore said, "the Charlotte City Council has gone against all common sense and has created a major public safety issue by opening all bathrooms and changing rooms to the general public," the Charlotte Observer reported.

Mr. Moore was referring to the most controversial part of the anti-discrimination law that allows transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. Opponents of the ordinance have said it would allow would-be predators access to bathrooms they're not supposed to be using.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory over the weekend took a stance against the law, saying that if the city council passed the ordinance, it would likely force the state government into action to ban it.

Other than the contentious bathroom clause, the anti-discrimination ordinance also prevents businesses from denying service to gays and transgender people, adding to existing protections on age, race and gender.

"This ordinance is impossible to regulate as intended, and creates undue regulatory burdens on private businesses," Speaker Moore said. "I join my conservative colleagues and Gov. McCrory in exploring legislative intervention."

It's not immediately clear what the North Carolina legislature will do in response to the law's passing in Charlotte.

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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article61932507.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article61932507.html#storylink=cpy