Apple, other tech companies decry North Carolina anti-LGBT law

AppleInsider · March 25, 2016 11:36PM

Big tech companies like Apple, Facebook and Google have voiced opposition to the passing of a controversial North Carolina law that dissolves anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community.

Apple's Maiden, N.C. solar farm. | Source: Apple

Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 (PDF link) into law on Wednesday after the anti-LGBT legislation sped through a special General Assembly session earlier this week. Dubbed HB2, the bill is a direct response to a recently adopted Charlotte ordinance protecting transgender individuals' rights to use bathrooms of the gender with which they identify.

The law's passage drew sharp criticism from civil rights groups, sports organizations and a variety of large businesses. As reported by The Charlotte Observer's Katie Peralta, Apple spoke out against HB2 on Thursday, joining a chorus of condemnation from influential tech companies including Cisco, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Salesforce and others.

"Apple Stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. That's why we support the federal Equality Act," Apple said in a statement. "Our future as Americans should be focused on inclusion and prosperity, and not discrimination and division. We were disappointed to see Governor McCrory sign this legislation."

Apple, whose brand message of inclusion sits in diametric opposition to the new pro-discrimination statute, is in a sticky situation as it also holds substantial, and permanent, investments in the state.

Unlike some other corporations that have transient ties with North Carolina, Apple operates not only five retail locations, but a massive data center in Maiden and three equally large solar farms. In a related development, Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff threatened to move his firm's upcoming Connections conference in Georgia if a similar bill passed there. Apple cannot simply relocate its infrastructure.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, a recognized civil rights advocate who has in the past leveraged his high-profile position to denounce discrimination, has yet to broach the subject.

thewhitefalcon · March 25, 2016 11:42PM

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Dai · March 25, 2016 11:50PM

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Did the voters of North Carolina want this? A rushed bill discussed in virtual secret doesn't seem like a democratic outcome. I'll stand corrected f the members of the NC legislature stood on a ticket of undoing anti-discriminatory legislation, but I doubt that's what happened. What "the voters" want is seldom what the people they vote for actually do, and what the elected do is seldom what voters want.

folk fountain · March 26, 2016 12:06AM

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Actually what the legislature and governor did was overturn an LGBT anti-discrimination law passed in Charlotte. The legislature called a special session introduced the bill in the morning, passed it in the afternoon, and the governor signed the bill that night at 10PM. What they did was make it so that local governments cannot pass LGBT protections, and they can't change the minimum wage, only the state government can. So they hate gay people so much that they go out of there way to make life difficult. Oh and the minimum wage thing. I guess they love poor people. That's why they want to make sure they stay poor.

tommikele · March 26, 2016 12:07AM

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

There is nothing to show that the voters of North Carolina wanted this. The results at the ballot box will show if a majority of voters wanted this. And if they did, Apple and every other company is free to disagree and take their facilities and business elsewhere. After all, didn't the Supreme Court in Citizens versus United declare that corporations are individuals for the purpose of expressing their free speech rights? It's thinly disguised law to legalize discrimination under the guise of protecting religious freedom. Your "left" comment is little other than a hypocritical load designed to deflect from your own endorsement of discrimination and bigotry. The only person you are fooling is yourself.

tnet-primary · March 26, 2016 12:08AM

Dai said:

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Did the voters of North Carolina want this? A rushed bill discussed in virtual secret doesn't seem like a democratic outcome. I'll stand corrected f the members of the NC legislature stood on a ticket of undoing anti-discriminatory legislation, but I doubt that's what happened. What "the voters" want is seldom what the people they vote for actually do, and what the elected do is seldom what voters want.

You're right. Obamacare being the perfect example of your last sentence.

With regard to this situation...this state legislation is in response to an ordinance passed in the city of Charlotte that was extremely controversial. The state passed its measure to strike the local measure down.

robertwalter · March 26, 2016 12:10AM

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

As an apple shareholder, I would support Apple closing its physical operations in NC.

tnet-primary · March 26, 2016 12:20AM

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it. Don't my feelings count for something, too?

Restrooms are assigned by sex, not by gender. Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not. There are serious risks to creating open bathrooms, and hurt feelings isn't one of them.

Before the most tolerant and open minded people on these boards close their minds and start calling me hateful and bigoted, please note that I am all for equality. But, we must find a better solution than open restrooms.

Illas_Pastia · March 26, 2016 12:24AM

Another example of duplicitous governing by the GOTP, lovers of small and local government: forbid local government from passing ordinances and laws that benefit local citizenry. Oh, sure, if it's in the name of religious freedom, cities and counties can pass all the restrictive laws they want without fear of the state or federal governments, but pass a law to uplift low wage earners, let 'em go to hell.

oh, and just who is going to enforce the toilet issue? State marshals posted just inside each restroom to somehow verify the physical gender of everyone entering who wants to use the john? More big government.

folk fountain · March 26, 2016 12:32AM

ttollerton said:

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it. Don't my feelings count for something, too?

Restrooms are assigned by sex, not by gender. Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not. There are serious risks to creating open bathrooms, and hurt feelings isn't one of them.

Before the most tolerant and open minded people on these boards close their minds and start calling me hateful and bigoted, please note that I am all for equality. But, we must find a better solution than open restrooms.

I think you would be surprised to see what transgender people look like. There are men who were female on the birth certificate. They have beards. Some with rather buff bodies. And you want them in the women's room. There are women who were men on their birth certificate with breasts, and again, rather attractive bodies that you would not imagine were not biologically female. Already the major stadiums in North Carolina have policies that allow transgender people to use the bathrooms that they identify with and this law will do nothing to change that. I don't know you enough to have an opinion about your feelings, but if you are truly interested in this I encourage you to do some research. I think you will be surprised how logical the Charlotte ordinance was and how misguided the state is.

icoco3 · March 26, 2016 12:32AM

Dai said:

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Did the voters of North Carolina want this? A rushed bill discussed in virtual secret doesn't seem like a democratic outcome. I'll stand corrected f the members of the NC legislature stood on a ticket of undoing anti-discriminatory legislation, but I doubt that's what happened. What "the voters" want is seldom what the people they vote for actually do, and what the elected do is seldom what voters want.

Then put it to a vote by the people and live with the outcome. You may find out that many disagree with your position.

I do agree that politicians are prone to do the opposite of what those who voted them in wanted them to do.

bsimpsen · March 26, 2016 12:42AM

ttollerton said:

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it.
Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not.

I'm afraid you're mistaken. Nature isn't as black and white as your thinking. Although the majority of humans fall into fairly clean male and female bins, not all do.

Read this...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_humans

And in particular, this...
"Therefore, direct sex differences are usually binary in expression (although the deviations in complex biological processes produce a menagerie of exceptions)."

I'm not sure menagerie is the best choice of word there, but it'll have to do. How do you propose society respect the members of that menagerie?

genovelle · March 26, 2016 12:48AM

folk fountain said:

ttollerton said:

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it. Don't my feelings count for something, too?

Restrooms are assigned by sex, not by gender. Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not. There are serious risks to creating open bathrooms, and hurt feelings isn't one of them.

Before the most tolerant and open minded people on these boards close their minds and start calling me hateful and bigoted, please note that I am all for equality. But, we must find a better solution than open restrooms.

I think you would be surprised to see what transgender people look like. There are men who were female on the birth certificate. They have beards. Some with rather buff bodies. And you want them in the women's room. There are women who were men on their birth certificate with breasts, and again, rather attractive bodies that you would not imagine were not biologically female. Already the major stadiums in North Carolina have policies that allow transgender people to use the bathrooms that they identify with and this law will do nothing to change that. I don't know you enough to have an opinion about your feelings, but if you are truly interested in this I encourage you to do some research. I think you will be surprised how logical the Charlotte ordinance was and how misguided the state is.

What's to stop a straight freak from claiming to identify with being a woman to gain access to the bathroom. It's easy to police. If someone goes into the women's bathroom and can pee standing up its a man. The women or little girls that are in a compromised situation can call the police. If anyone can just claim to identify as a woman and gain access is a problem.

mdriftmeyer · March 26, 2016 12:49AM

Pull out of NC. Take your business elsewhere. Money talks BS walks.

genovelle · March 26, 2016 12:55AM

ttollerton said:

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it. Don't my feelings count for something, too?

Restrooms are assigned by sex, not by gender. Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not. There are serious risks to creating open bathrooms, and hurt feelings isn't one of them.

Before the most tolerant and open minded people on these boards close their minds and start calling me hateful and bigoted, please note that I am all for equality. But, we must find a better solution than open restrooms.

I guess the person who disliked your post thinks it's ok for a 13 year old girl to have to use the mall restroom with a man who claims he identifies as a woman. This will come to a grinding halt when they realize this was the dumbest idea ever.

gadgetdon · March 26, 2016 1:02AM

ttollerton said:

I'm a biological male who doesn't want biological females in the Men's Restroom when I'm using it. Don't my feelings count for something, too?

Restrooms are assigned by sex, not by gender. Gender is open to cultural interpretation, but biological sex is not. There are serious risks to creating open bathrooms, and hurt feelings isn't one of them.

Before the most tolerant and open minded people on these boards close their minds and start calling me hateful and bigoted, please note that I am all for equality. But, we must find a better solution than open restrooms.

They aren't "open bathrooms". So there's this big guy, husky, lumberjack style shirt and jeans. And he walks into the ladies restroom because he's biologically female. You think either he or the ladies in the restroom will be comfortable? You think there won't be those saying "Hey, you can't go in there". Similarly, good looking woman, nicely built, medium length skirt, shirt may show a little cleavage. Since she's still biologically male, she has to walk into the men's room. And you consider that progress. Riiight. And Apple has an interest because they employ people in North Carolina, some almost certainly gay, quite possibly some transgender. They'd prefer their employees not be harassed or even potentially assaulted when they go to the bathroom, yes, even the LGBT ones.

gadgetdon · March 26, 2016 1:11AM

genovelle said:

folk fountain said:

I think you would be surprised to see what transgender people look like. There are men who were female on the birth certificate. They have beards. Some with rather buff bodies. And you want them in the women's room. There are women who were men on their birth certificate with breasts, and again, rather attractive bodies that you would not imagine were not biologically female. Already the major stadiums in North Carolina have policies that allow transgender people to use the bathrooms that they identify with and this law will do nothing to change that. I don't know you enough to have an opinion about your feelings, but if you are truly interested in this I encourage you to do some research. I think you will be surprised how logical the Charlotte ordinance was and how misguided the state is.

What's to stop a straight freak from claiming to identify with being a woman to gain access to the bathroom. It's easy to police. If someone goes into the women's bathroom and can pee standing up its a man. The women or little girls that are in a compromised situation can call the police. If anyone can just claim to identify as a woman and gain access is a problem.

How about a simpler solution. If you look like a women, dress like a woman, think you're a woman, you go into the women's bathroom. If someone is abusing it then as you say, call the police. Now in North Carolina, if you're a predator, you don't even have to dress up like a woman to go into the women's bathroom, just walk in and if stopped say "I'm a transgender male, it's OK"

I get it. You don't think this is real, that transgender people are just those who want to dress up like the other sex. You're wrong.

thewhitefalcon · March 26, 2016 1:11AM

Dai said:

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

Did the voters of North Carolina want this? A rushed bill discussed in virtual secret doesn't seem like a democratic outcome. I'll stand corrected f the members of the NC legislature stood on a ticket of undoing anti-discriminatory legislation, but I doubt that's what happened. What "the voters" want is seldom what the people they vote for actually do, and what the elected do is seldom what voters want.

State reps don't act if there isn't heat. My guess is their switchboards lit up with calls demanding this bill be passed.

thewhitefalcon · March 26, 2016 1:13AM

tommikele said:

thewhitefalcon said:

So are Apple and other companies saying that only their opinion matters? Are they better than the voters of North Carolina that wanted this? I thought the left didn't like big business and money in politics?

There is nothing to show that the voters of North Carolina wanted this. The results at the ballot box will show if a majority of voters wanted this. And if they did, Apple and every other company is free to disagree and take their facilities and business elsewhere. After all, didn't the Supreme Court in Citizens versus United declare that corporations are individuals for the purpose of expressing their free speech rights? It's thinly disguised law to legalize discrimination under the guise of protecting religious freedom. Your "left" comment is little other than a hypocritical load designed to deflect from your own endorsement of discrimination and bigotry. The only person you are fooling is yourself.

You can call someone a bigot all you want, but it doesn't make it true. The bigots I see are those who demean honestly held religious beliefs of others with great frequency.

That being said, this is a bill about common sense in the bathroom. That may not appeal to the people of Fantasy Land, but in flyover country we're not insane like the radicals.

NemWan · March 26, 2016 1:25AM

ttollerton said:

Dai said:

Did the voters of North Carolina want this? A rushed bill discussed in virtual secret doesn't seem like a democratic outcome. I'll stand corrected f the members of the NC legislature stood on a ticket of undoing anti-discriminatory legislation, but I doubt that's what happened. What "the voters" want is seldom what the people they vote for actually do, and what the elected do is seldom what voters want.

You're right. Obamacare being the perfect example of your last sentence.

With regard to this situation...this state legislation is in response to an ordinance passed in the city of Charlotte that was extremely controversial. The state passed its measure to strike the local measure down.

They did a HELL of a lot more than that. In a one-day whirlwind intentionally engineered to make public debate impossible, North Carolina instantly became the most bigotry-friendly state in the union.

dipdog3 · March 26, 2016 1:54AM

Rename bathrooms to Penis & Non-Penis. Whatever you got, that's where you go. Problem solved!

Apple, other tech companies decry North Carolina anti-LGBT law

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