Story highlights North Carolina governor recently signed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act

Law blocks transgender individuals from bathrooms that match their gender identity

A federal lawsuit filed Monday asks a judge to declare the law unconstitutional

(CNN) A federal lawsuit was filed Monday against the North Carolina governor and other state officials over a new law that blocks transgender individuals from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity and stops cities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances to protect gay and transgender people.

Two transgender men, a lesbian, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina want a judge to declare the state law, House Bill 2, unconstitutional and a violation of federal laws banning sex discrimination.

"While the discriminatory, stated focus of the legislature in passing H.B. 2 -- the use of restrooms by transgender people -- is on its own illegal and unconstitutional, H.B. 2 in facts wreaks far greater damage by also prohibiting local governments in North Carolina from enacting express anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity," the lawsuit says.

The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The defendants are Gov. Pat McCrory, state Attorney General Roy Cooper III, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and board Chairman W. Louis Bissette Jr. Two of the plaintiffs are university system employees, and one is a university student.

McCrory signed the bill , called the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, on Wednesday. The General Assembly went into special session that day to push through the legislation

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