After Meeting With Advocates, McCrory’s Office Says ‘Thereâ€™s No Doubt There Is a Well-Coordinated, National Campaign to Smear Our Stateâ€™s Reputation’

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin,Â Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro,Â transgender advocate Candis Cox-Daniels, and otherÂ LGBT equality advocates Thursday morning visited the North CarolinaÂ State Capitol hoping to meet with Governor Pat McCrory andÂ personally hand him a letter signed by over 100 corporations asking him to repeal his anti-LGBT law. Once the meeting was over, a McCrory spokesperson denounced a supposed “national campaign” to “smear” North Carolina.

As the video shows, the group was rebuffed by McCrory’s Chief of Staff Thomas Stith, who would not allow the entire group in to meet the governor. In fact, he initially only wanted to allow Griffin in, but the HRC president refused.

No media was allowed inside the governor’s office and there is apparently no recording of the meeting itself, but afterwards McCrory’s spokesperson issued a horrific and insulting statement.

â€œThereâ€™s no doubt there is a well-coordinated, national campaign to smear our stateâ€™s reputation after we passed a common-sense law to ensure no government can take away our basic expectations of privacy in bathrooms, locker rooms and showers,â€ said Josh Ellis, Communications Director for Governor McCrory. â€œGovernor McCrory appreciated the opportunity to sit down and deal with these complex issues through conversation and dialogue as opposed to political threats and economic retaliation.â€Â

That statement was published on the governor’s website, tagged “public safety.”

The three who met with Gov. McCrory issued their own statements.

â€œIn our meeting with Governor McCrory, we made crystal clear that HB 2 is discriminatory, shameful, and needs to be repealed immediately,â€Â said HRC President Chad Griffin.Â â€œWe also called on him to continue to meet with LGBT North Carolinians in the days and weeks prior to Aprilâ€™s legislative session.Â The question Governor McCrory faces is a simple one: will he seize this opportunity to show true leadership, or will he allow North Carolina to remain on the wrong side of history?Â This law is doing extraordinary damage to the stateâ€™s economic prospects, its reputation, and most importantly, itâ€™s LGBT community.Â The nation is waiting and watching to see which path he will take.â€

“While we were glad that the Governor agreed to meet with us today to take the first step towards doing the right thing, we reiterated that he must continue to meet with LGBT North Carolinians who are directly affected by the new law,â€Â said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro.Â â€œWe strongly urged the governor to repeal this harmful bill and restore North Carolina’s image by working with the General Assembly to pass comprehensive non-discrimination protections including sexual orientation and gender identity.”

â€œDespite the fact that he was reluctant to meet with me, I hope that Governor McCrory took to heart my personal story and the very real harm this law is inflicting on North Carolinaâ€™s transgender community,â€Â said Candis Cox-Daniels.Â â€œThe people of North Carolina are looking for the governor to show the leadership needed to repeal this appalling law.â€

Watch:

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Image via Facebook

Hat tip: Dominic Holden

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