RALEIGH, N.C. — In court documents filed yesterday, North Carolina and the University of North Carolina system argued that the state’s law banning transgender people from public restrooms matching their gender identity should remain in effect while a legal challenge proceeds in federal court. The law, House Bill 2, also removes legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and others.

On May 16, six LGBT North Carolinians and members of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina filed a motion for a preliminary injunction asking the court to stop the enforcement of the provisions of the law that target transgender people for discrimination in single-sex facilities while the case proceeds through the court system.

The individuals and ACLU members are represented by the ACLU of North Carolina, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the law firm of Jenner and Block.

The groups released the following statement today in response to yesterday’s motions:

“After rushing to enact HB2 in a span of hours, the government is now asking the court for six months to study its own law, so it can figure out what to say in its defense, all while transgender people suffer. By arguing that HB2 should remain in effect, Gov. McCrory, legislative leadership, and UNC are continuing to defend a law that specifically targets transgender people who just want to be able to use public facilities safely and securely like everyone else. Every defendant opposes efforts to block HB2’s discriminatory provisions from remaining in effect while this case moves forward. In so doing, all of the defendants are continuing to inflict daily harm on the transgender North Carolinians we represent and to defy federal court rulings that conclude that federal law forbids discrimination against transgender people.”

The lawsuit, Carcano v. McCrory, was filed days after the law was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed by Gov. Pat McCrory.

To read more about the case: https://www.aclu.org/cases/carcano-et-al-v-mccrory-et-al