September 12, 2016 | No Comments
The North Carolina GOP blasted a decision by the NCAA on Monday to pull seven 2016-17 championship events from the state due to a law that prohibits transgender individuals from using public bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
“This is so absurd it’s almost comical,” North Carolina GOP spokeswoman Kami Mueller said in a statement in response to the NCAA’s move. “Under the NCAA’s logic, colleges should make cheerleaders and football players share bathrooms, showers and hotel rooms.”
The NCAA said in a statement Monday evening that its board of governors determined that North Carolina law — particularly the so-called House Bill 2 governing use of public restrooms and school locker rooms and changing facilities — makes it “challenging” to meet its goal of promoting an inclusive atmosphere at the athletic competitions.
“Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships.”
But the North Carolina GOP lambasted that logic as “political peacocking.”
“This decision is an assault to female athletes across the nation,” Mueller’s statement added. “If you are unwilling to have women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, how do you have a women’s team? I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor.”
The NCAA is the latest to blacklist North Carolina over House Bill 2, a statewide measure that requires individuals to use public restrooms and other accommodations that are consistent with one’s birth certificate — as opposed to one’s gender identity, the standard advocated by the Obama administration. The DOJ has sued North Carolina over the law.
New locations for the competitions will be chosen soon, Emmert said. Championship events that will be relocated include first- and second-round games of the Division I men’s basketball tournament, scheduled for March 2017; the Division I women’s soccer championship, slated for December 2016, and the Division 1 women’s lacrosse championship, in May 2017.
Five states – New York, Minnesota, Washington, Vermont and Connecticut — prohibit travel to North Carolina for public employees and representatives of public institutions, according to the NCAA statement.