North Carolina's House Bill 2, which restricts the rights of LGBT people, has tainted the state's reputation around the country and has even caused untold financial loss as the NBA and NCAA have withdrawn major sporting events.
The NBA tried to work with the state, giving out not-so-veiled threats that if HB2 wasn't drastically changed, the league would pull the 2017 All-Star game. North Carolina made some slight changes to the law, but nothing major was changed so the NBA pulled the game and relocated it to New Orleans. The NCAA recently followed the NBA's lead by relocating future basketball championship games from the state.
Despite these drastic events, North Carolina has still not made any changes to the law. The state is clearly national pressure and now Charlotte's hometown hero, Stephen Curry, is joining in on the call for action. Curry remained neutral about HB2 back in March, but in an interview with the Associated Press he says he hopes changes can be made.
"I think it's unfortunate for our city and our state to be under the microscope with HB2 and how it's unfolded," Curry said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm all for equal and fair rights and treatment for everybody. Until it gets addressed, until some changes are made, this could be a recurring theme in North Carolina. I don't want that happen."
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"The All-Star Game has been moved, the NCAA Tournament, things that would bring so much joy and support to the city, mainstay events. But I think it's a conversation that will continue until changes are made. I don't have any answers as to how that will happen, but hopefully it happens sooner rather than later."
Curry isn't taking a real hard political stance here, but he is advocating for change. With his star stature in the NBA, he should hold a lot of weight in North Carolina. Only time will tell if the state repeals or makes significant changes to HB2. As long as star athletes like Curry keep speaking out against it, the law continues to be a bad look for North Carolina.
