North Carolina lawmakers are considering revisions to controversial House Bill 2, and an NBA source said the proposed changes are a "step in the right direction" toward avoiding having to move the All-Star Weekend out of Charlotte, according to a front-page piece by Morrill, Peralta, Bonnell & Gordon of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. But Guilford County (NC) Rep. and Equality N.C. Exec Dir Chris Sgro and others said that they "don’t believe the draft changes would placate the NBA." N.C. Values Coalition Exec Dir Tami Fitzgerald "criticized the NBA for 'bullying the state and the legislature' and said it was 'outrageous' for a sports organization to try to brow-beat the state on an issue that should be decided by the people who live here." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said previously that the "restroom issue is not of as much concern to him as the LGBT rights issues." But the source said that the league "would need an assurance that transgender individuals would have access to the restroom of their gender identity at any venue the All-Star Weekend uses." In addition to Time Warner Cable Arena, there "would be All-Star activities at two other public facilities that must follow HB2: the Charlotte Convention Center and possibly Bojangles’ Arena." Also, hotels housing All-Star attendees "would have to abide by the NBA’s long-standing policy." Drafting a change in HB2 "was the result of months of lobbying by the NBA and business communities in Charlotte and around the state" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/29).
HOPE REMAINS: Silver sat for a Q&A with Trail Blazers G C.J. McCollum for THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE and said, "It's still my hope that the All-Star Game will remain in Charlotte, North Carolina. We've had ongoing discussions with both the government and business community in North Carolina and Charlotte." Silver said the Hornets and Owner Michael Jordan "want the game to stay there and there's people, well-intentioned people, who are both focused on potential changes in the law and also ensuring that if the All-Star Game does take place in North Carolina, it's the most inclusive possible environment for the game to take place." Silver: "Those discussions are ongoing but it is still my hope that at the end of the day, the game remains in Charlotte" (THEPLAYERSTRIBUNE.com, 6/28).
