If you'd read only the headlines, you might think North Carolina softened its position on transgender rights after its Legislature "repealed" HB2. That was the bill requiring people to use only bathrooms and showers matching the sex specified on their birth certificates, not the sex with which they identified.

Nope. You'd have to read the new bill itself and you'd easily figure out how the majority of legislators were persuaded to finally vote for it. Because, frankly, it didn't change a thing.

At least not yet.

The Legislature still retains complete control over who can pee or shower where. No public accommodation can be changed without the formal approval of the legislature. So no college, for instance, can establish restrooms that are not gender-specific without going through Raleigh. For the next three years at least, no municipality can enact any ordinance banning discrimination of any sort without first getting permission from the state capitol.

That means Charlotte, whose council members dared to try to eliminate discrimination in their city, can't do a thing about it now. Of course, they can discourage their police officers from demanding birth certificates in restroom doorways, but they can't stop a bigot from filing a complaint.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper - newly elected, not the guy who encouraged, signed and celebrated the original bill - said the new one is "not a perfect deal, not my preferred solution." But I suppose it was the best he could do to get enough votes for even that wimpy deal.

North Carolina suffered financially since the first bill was enacted. Concerts and sports events were cancelled, companies dropped plans to relocate offices and factories there, college applications decreased, and tourism took a hit. The Legislature was facing a deadline imposed by the NCAA which threatened to cancel additional competitions in sports-mad North Carolina -- so they had to do something.

Despite economic losses and an avalanche of criticism in the press and on social media, many North Carolinians said transgender people were not only sinful but also posed a danger to other children. There's never been a confirmed instance of anyone anywhere being attacked in a restroom by a transgender person doing what they entered to do, but a Salem-witch-hunt attitude apparently paralyzed some lawmakers.

During debate and in interviews legislators spoke of hordes of straight men in drag waiting to prey on little girls in rest rooms. No one mentioned tough old ladies in jeans trying to grab little boys, but I've no doubt that thought crossed their minds, too.

Some argued that setting aside a bathroom exclusively for use by transgender people was adequate, even though it clearly indicated a transgender person wasn't fit to mingle with others. Even though the designated restroom or shower may have been far out of the way or inadequately equipped, it was the best they could hope for. A southern state was trying that "separate but equal" solution all over again.

Over centuries some people everywhere feared others who were not exactly like themselves. People were shunned because of their hair or skin color, disability, religion, illness or even an unusual style of dress. Most of us have moved beyond this. We recognize differences and either merely tolerate or genuinely applaud them. We often learn from them.

But everywhere, I suppose, some people still prefer to remain ignorant and intolerant, believing if you're not just like me, you're to be shunned.

Maybe they'll someday learn that's wrong. Meanwhile, we can shun, too, because there are plenty of other nice places to go.

A former assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of the North Hudson Community Action Corp.