The battle over North Carolina's anti-queer House Bill 2 is far from over -- and now two celebrities, who also identify as members of the LGBT community -- are taking to the streets to talk to NC citizens about their feelings surrounding this legislation.
"The View" co-host Raven-Symoné and "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken visited a diner in Sanford, NC -- about an hour outside of Raleigh -- this week to gauge public perception surround House Bill 2. The legislation, which mandates that transgender people must use the restroom corresponding with the gender they were assigned at birth, is engaged in ongoing controversy, with the NBA currently threatening to move the organization's All-Star game from Charlotte.
“About 70 percent of the people we spoke to opposed the law saying that transgender people should have the same rights as everyone else. But the other 30 percent, however, supported the law, or had concerns about sharing the bathroom with transgender people,” said Symoné, adding that most who opposed the bill refused to talk on camera.
The pair also spoke to a pair of trans activists from NC currently engaged in fighting HB2.
House Bill 2 goes beyond just affecting transgender people, essentially invalidating the rights of nearly every minority group in North Carolina. Many musicians, businesses and public figures have taken stances against the legislation, with some boycotting the state while others have brought their business to North Carolinian, later donating the profits to local LGBT organizations.
Our favorite response? Openly trans rocker Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! burning her birth certificate onstage as an act of protest against HB2.
Let's get it together, North Carolina.
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