There is a North Carolina bill HB2 that has begun to become a high profile issue nationally.
The bill seeks to find a way to restrict access to multi occupancy restrooms by telling people they must use the bathroom of their “birth sex”.
This has raised a great deal of concern in the business community that such a distinction discriminates against Trans gender individuals etc. And I agree that it just probably does.
But here is where the process turns to crap.
There is no middle ground. There is not even an attempt to understand the concerns of either group involved.
Transgender individuals see this as an attempt to limit their rights – and I get that.
North Carolina is struggling, if you bother to read the bill, with the idea that someone could represent themselves as transgender to access a women’s bathroom to potentially molest women or even children. This is especially referenced in the concept of a “school” environment.
Now I am a Dad but I don’t have daughters. But I could probably be pretty comfortable saying that most Dads/Moms could have this worry. They just want to keep their kids safe.
Unless you are completely cynical it should be easy to see both sides of the issue and to bring both groups together to find a solution.
Nope, that’s not what you get. You get posturing.
Business leaders are signing letters telling North Carolina they will pull their business (which is, no mistake, a level of bullying although they would say it is for a noble clause).
But did these people even read the bill?
I saw a CEO on CNBC yesterday who vehemently spoke of his opposition to the bill, yelled for its repeal, but then said he had only read excerpts. Well, come on, he is a busy guy right?
The bill that I have read is 5 pages long. 5 pages!
I can tell you that if a CEO can’t read 5 pages before opening their stupid mouth there is no way I will be investing with that company – ever. This is BS posturing and not leadership.
So where are the leaders?
Real leaders bring people together. They don’t whine, they act.
Transgender concerns for liberty are real and must be protected. North Carolina concerns that without clarity, kids might be exposed to a higher level of risk is also a real concern.
So fix it!
Get both groups involved and come up with a reasonable solution.
But that’s not where we are.
Many in the business community are simply labeling North Carolina racist and sexist.
North Carolina will position that the business community doesn’t care about the safety of children. I don’t believe either is true.
But to get to a better solution you will need real leadership, not just posturing on either side.
People ask me all the time: “how did we get here politically with such a lack of leadership?”
This is how.