North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has
called the NBA's decision to move next year's All-Star Game from
Charlotte over a state law that targets the LGBT community “PC BS.”
The NBA cited House Bill 2 in
announcing its decision on Thursday.
“While we recognize that the NBA
cannot choose the law in every city, state and county in which we do
business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star
festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2,” the league
said.
“I'm calling it out as it is,”
McCrory told reporters on Friday, saying that he feared that other
organizations would follow the NBA's lead. “”We've got to call
this as it is, and it is PC BS. It has nothing to do with
discrimination, because if it had to do with discrimination, the NBA
would be canceling their games in China right now, and the NBA would
not be playing in over 20 states that have the exact same laws that
we have.”
To be certain, North Carolina's House
Bill 2 is the first in the nation to restrict transgender bathroom
use. It also prohibits local municipalities from enacting LGBT
protections.
“I don't think this has anything to
do with the bill that was passed,” McCrory added. “I think it
has to do with a very well-coordinated political campaign that [was]
brought from outside North Carolina, that was brought into
Charlotte.”
In an earlier statement, McCrory
blamed presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for the NBA's
decision.