Last week, more than 100 corporate CEOs signed a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory demanding the repeal of commonsense legislation that requires individuals to use public restrooms and other facilities that coincide to the sex of their birth.
The list of signers reads like a who’s who of the business community — Apple, Bank of America, Barnes and Noble, Hyatt Hotels, Yahoo, just to name a few. In their view, the legislation upholding the public’s expectation of privacy in public bathrooms amounts to discrimination. Moreover, they insist that not allowing men to use the women’s restroom is somehow detrimental to economic development.
CNBC is piling on, too, suggesting that laws defending religious liberty and issues like transgender bathrooms will affect a state’s pro-business ranking.
When did American businesses decide that in order to be pro-business you have to embrace San Francisco values?
Of course, any U.S. corporation that thinks men should be able to use women’s bathrooms can leave North Carolina and move to high-tax New York or big government California, but I doubt its shareholders would agree with its priorities.
Gary L. Bauer served in President Ronald Reagan’s administration for eight years, as Under Secretary of Education and as President Reagan’s Chief Domestic Policy Advisor.
