North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is either living in an alternate universe or he's blatantly lying to dig his way out of the sinkhole he's created with his bill targeting LGBTQ people for discrimination. He may call this damage control, but we call it bullshit.
Lie # 1: It's not like Indiana
McCrory in an NBC interview:
"There's a branding effort by the advocates pushing this agenda, which are trying to compare the North Carolina with the Indiana situation—when there's absolutely no comparison."
In actuality, it's remarkably similar. Republican governor, living in a time-warp bubble, thinks he can score political points with his social conservative base by statutorily ensuring that people can legally discriminate against LGBT Americans. Indiana’s Gov. Pence destroyed his own political ambitions to run for higher office; McCrory is presently doing exactly the same. Good luck in your re-election this fall, governor, where Democratic AG Roy Cooper is getting ready to swamp you.
Lie #2: It's all meaningless "political theater"
From NBC:
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday dismissed criticism of a controversial new law curbing LGBT anti-discrimination protections as "political theater" that he says is concocted by left-wing activists, accusing them of a "calculated smear campaign" that included threatening local businesses to oppose the measure.
You call it "political theater," we call it our lives. When you can be fired from your job simply because you're gay, that's not "political theater," that's a livelihood. When you are forced to use a bathroom in which you clearly bear no resemblance to your peers, that's not "political theater," that's an invitation to be violently beaten. You may have no idea what it's like to live on the margins, governor, but your law ensures that people who do are now in far greater jeopardy.
But wait … he’s got more lies!
Lie #3: North Carolina hasn't lost any business
From McCrory’s NBC interview:
"I have not had one company say they're moving out of North Carolina," [McCrory] said.
Ummm…
Tom Murray, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, said Monday the group is “extremely concerned” about the controversial new legislation, and it continues to hear “negative feedback and potential event cancellations” from customers.
Some would-be customers have withdrawn their interest in Charlotte as a host destination, the CRVA said, though the group declined to say how many or which customers. No existing conventions have canceled yet, Murray said.
Aaaand...
North Carolina’s High Point Market Week bills itself as the world’s largest home furnishings industry trade show and mere days after the state’s anti-LGBT bill was signed into law, the show’s organizers say they are being deluged with attendee cancellations for next month’s convention, which delivers an estimated $5.4B to the local economy with its spring and fall events. Via press release from the High Point Market Authority:
As leaders and organizers of the High Point Market, we feel an obligation to inform the public and our government leaders in Raleigh of the significant economic damage that HB2 is having on the High Point Market and on the North Carolina economy. Based on the reaction in just the last few days, hundreds and perhaps thousands of our customers will not attend Market this April.
Lie #4: McCrory cleared up all the lies in his Myths v. Facts press release
From North Carolina’s WRAL:
Q: Does this bill take away existing protections for individuals in North Carolina?
McCrory's Answer: "No. In fact, for the first time in state history, this law establishes a statewide anti-discrimination policy in North Carolina which is tougher than the federal government's. This also means that the law in North Carolina is not different when you go city to city."
Fact Check: This claim is problematic on a multiple fronts. As we noted in a story last week, the law appears to wipe away protections for people against being fired based on "race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex or disability." In particular, the bill says North Carolina law "does not create, and shall not be construed to create or support, a statutory or common law private right of action, and no person may bring any civil action based upon the public policy expressed herein."
There are more lies where that came from if you check out the link.
Lie #5: McCrory's just a good guy who’s the victim of “calculated smear campaign”
From NBC:
One [plaintiff in the law suit], Joaquin Carcano, 27, who was born female but identifies as male — he sported light facial stubble on Monday — told NBC News he uses men's bathrooms but under the new law will have to use women's rooms. He said he worried about the reaction.
Asked about Carcano's situation, McCrory responded: "You know, we all have to make adjustments in life. And we've had the proper etiquette situation for decades in our country, and all of a sudden through political correctness we're throwing away basic etiquette."
Translation: I could give a shit about Carcaño and anyone like him whom I’m putting in harm's way. The “proper etiquette” is that people should just shut up about their petty grievances while I'm trying to do things that are actually important—like win my re-election campaign.