Roger Fingas
Apple and 67 other businesses have signed a new amicus brief, supporting the U.S. Justice Department's efforts to halt the enforcement of HB2, a North Carolina law forcing people to use bathrooms corresponding to their birth gender.
The brief was filed on Friday in conjunction with the pro-LGBT organization Human Rights Campaign, according to Re/code. It claims that HB2, passed by the North Carolina legislature in March, represents a kind of "invidious discrimination" hampering the companies' ability to recruit and retain workers in the state.
The corporations also try to make a grander economic case, suggesting that North Carolina has already lost over 1,700 jobs and half a billion dollars because of the law.
Apart from Apple, some other technology companies signed to the amicus include Airbnb, Cisco, eBay, IBM, Intel, Logitech, Microsoft, and PayPal.
In the United States at least, Apple has become an aggressive supporter of LGBT causes. In April for instance the company attacked Mississippi legislation allowing businesses to use religion to deny service to LGBT individuals. A month prior, CEO Tim Cook in fact signed an open letter — also drafted by the Human Rights Campaign — calling on North Carolina to repeal HB2.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
127 Comments
Yay big government, down with states rights, right?
Way to go!! You managed to completely mischaracterize this law. All it does is protect the right of a business to decide how they want to handle this issue.
NC should have left whatever was original law alone and offer to add 3rd kind bathroom in new constructions or if extra bathroom is available in existing facility than convert one for transgender people. So, provide male, female and trans type bathrooms.