ANNOUNCING HIS support for legislation that was sold as repealing North Carolina’s notorious “bathroom bill,” Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said he hoped it would lift the “dark cloud” hanging over the state and begin to repair its reputation. Sorry, Governor. It is going to take a lot more to improve North Carolina’s standing than a bill that was thrown together at the last minute for mercenary purposes and that still leaves LGBT people vulnerable to discrimination. That this bill was the best the forward-thinking governor could accomplish is sad commentary on the state’s politics and the narrow-mindedness of the Republicans who control the legislature and are responsible for making North Carolina a pariah.

Mr. Cooper campaigned last year on a promise to repeal House Bill 2, which targeted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and caused enormous economic and social damage in the state. The bill signed into law Thursday, hours after lawmakers rushed its approval, was — in Mr. Cooper’s words — “not a perfect deal and . . . not my preferred solution.”

More replacement than repeal, the measure eliminates the requirement that transgender people in government facilities use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. But it keeps intact, at least until 2020, a ban on cities and counties enacting measures to protect LGBT people from unfair treatment. That means that people who are denied public service or accommodations based on their sexual orientation or identity will be given no recourse or protection. Ditto for people who are fired for being gay or transgender.

Little wonder, then, that civil rights advocates are angry. It was obvious, though, that Mr. Cooper and his fellow Democrats felt they couldn’t hold out for a truly equitable deal — that is, a clean-cut repeal of House Bill 2 — because of a looming deadline from the NCAA. The collegiate sports association had already yanked seven championship games from the state because of the hostile environment North Carolina’s law created for players and fans, and it was prepared to sideline the state for the next six years unless there was repeal or major change of the law.

It remains to be seen whether the changes made this week will be enough to mollify the NCAA — or others, such as the NBA and a number of companies, performers and even other states — that refused on principles of fairness and inclusion to do business in North Carolina. What is clear is that — no matter where the Blue Devils play their next tournament — the controversy that surrounds North Carolina’s unequal treatment of LGBT people will continue.