A federal judge on Friday blocked the
University of North Carolina (UNC) from enforcing a state law that
restricts transgender bathroom use.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder
blocked UNC officials from enforcing a key provision of House Bill 2
that prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their
choice in public buildings, including schools.
Schroeder blocked UNC from enforcing
the law until the case is settled, BuzzFeed
News reported. UNC had previously said that it would not enforce
the law.
The American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) and Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit after Republican lawmakers
approved and Governor Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 during a
one-day special session in March. The law also blocks cities and
municipalities from approving LGBT protections.
Despite a public backlash to the law –
including loss of the NBA's All-Star Game – lawmakers ended this
year's legislative session without repealing it.
“Instead of wasting tens of thousands
of taxpayer dollars trying to defend the indefensible, Governor
McCrory and state lawmakers should be working towards fully repealing
HB2,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow.
McCrory is in a tight race against Roy
Cooper, the state's Democratic attorney general. A poll released
Wednesday shows Cooper with a 9-point lead among likely voters in the
state. Pollsters also found that a majority (55%) of voters
disapprove of HB2.
(Related: At
Donald Trump rally, Pat McCrory ridicules transgender rights.)