North Carolina's anti-LGBT law ruled in violation of Civil Rights Act as Beyoncé speaks out

North Carolina’s HB2 has proved controversial, because it bars transgender people from using the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

Concerts in North Carolina have already been cancelled by Bruce Springsteen, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, all in protest over the discriminatory legislation introduced last month.

Now, Beyoncé has released a statement on her website criticizing the law, though she adds that she will go ahead with her planned tour stop in the state, as Dolly Parton has also opted to do.

“As The Formation World Tour makes its stop in the Tar Heel state in the midst of such a controversial time, we think it is important for us to bring attention to those who are committed to being good and carrying on the message of equality in this core of controversy.”

The statement issued on her website asks people to either; donate towards Equality NC, volunteer for them or just spread the word on the organisation in order to help repeal the ‘bathroom bill’.

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department said on Wednesday (May 4) that North Carolina’s HB2 violates the country’s federal Civil Rights Act and has given North Carolina’s Republican governor, Pat McCrory until Monday to decide if the state will not comply with or implement the bill.

BREAKING: US Justice Department says North Carolina’s law limiting protections for LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws.

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 4, 2016

Vanita Gupta for the US Justice Department wrote a letter to McCrory and, in the letter, Gupta writes, “The Department of Justice has determined that, as a result of compliance with and implementation of NC House Bill 2, both you and the state of NC are in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1994.”

“Access to sex-segregated restrooms and other workplace facilities consistent with gender identity is a term, condition or privilege of employment.”

Gupta adds, “Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from the gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII.”

She describes HB2 as “facially discriminatory against transgender employees on the basis of sex because it treats transgender employees, whose gender identity does not match their biological sex, as defined by HB2, differently from similarly situated non-transgender employees.”

Gupta also referenced Title IX of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits discrimination in education and universities are at risk of losing around 4.5 billion dollars from the federal education fund as HB2 violates Title IX.

Speaking to the Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina’s Executive Director, Chris Sgro, has said that, “The letter confirms what we’ve already known – that HB2 is deeply discriminatory, violated federal civil rights law, and needs to be repealed as soon as possible.”

“We’ve already lost $500 million in economic impact and now we are violating federal civil rights law and risking Title IX funding. This is a travesty and embarrassment for North Carolina.”

The Human Rights Campaign are fighting along Equality NC to repeal HB2 and several celebrities have shown their support for the fight.

North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law ruled in violation of Civil Rights Act as Beyoncé speaks out

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