[JURIST] Six Democrats in the North Carolina House of Representatives [official website] filed a bill on Thursday to reverse House Bill 2 [bill, PDF], commonly known as the “bathroom bill.” HB2 requires transgender individuals to use the restroom that corresponds with their biological sex, which is defined by the legislature as “the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person’s birth certificate.” The bill also prohibits local governments from passing laws that allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their choosing. HB82 [bill, PDF] would repeal HB2, as well as outlawing housing, employment, and insurance discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina [advocacy website] praised [press release] the attempted repeal. According to CNN, the “bathroom bill” caused economic losses [CNN report] for North Carolina, as some businesses boycotted the state.

North Carolina’s stance on LGBT rights has been a topic of national controversy. Last March the state’s then-governor Pat McCrory signed HB2 into law [JURIST report]. A few days later North Carolina individuals and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against McCrory, claiming that the bill he signed one week prior was unconstitutional and discriminatory. That same week then-Attorney General and current governor Roy Cooper stated during a press conference that he would not defend [JURIST report] the law, which he considers to be discriminatory against the LGBT community. In April McCrory issued an executive order [JURIST report] to clarify HB2 in response to significant backlash. McCrory dismissed a lawsuit [JURIST report] in September and declared that HB2 did not violate federal law. In December a deal to repeal the bill collapsed [JURIST report].