Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a
Republican, on Saturday dismissed the NFL's suggestion that passage
of a so-called bathroom bill that targets the transgender community
threatens Texas' chances of hosting another Super Bowl.
The bill, titled the “Privacy
Protection Act,” bars transgender people from using the bathroom of
their choice in many buildings, blocks local non-discrimination
ordinances that protect transgender people in public accommodations,
and prohibits local municipalities from considering such protections
when awarding contracts.
“If a proposal that is discriminatory
or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would
certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future
events,” NFL
spokesman Brian McCarthy said in answering a question about
Texas' proposed bill.
Abbot responded in a tweet: “NFL
decision makers also benched Tom Brady last season. It ended with
NFL handing the Super Bowl trophy to Brady.”
Houston played host to last week's
Super Bowl. The city also played host in 1974 and 2004. Dallas
hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011.