By Bronte Price, PoliticKING
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has issued a government travel ban to North Carolina and Mississippi after both states passed controversial anti-LGBT public restroom laws.
“As I have indicated to you in our individual conversations, I will not authorize any city-sponsored travel to those states while the current discriminatory situation exists.” Rawlings-Blake said in an internal letter to city officials on Tuesday.
The North Carolina legislature in March, passed a law which limits the protection for LGBT people and requires transgender people to use public bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.
Baltimore’s Mayor Just Banned Travel To North Carolina. No Travel Ban... https://t.co/NGZk0DzI4g
— Dallas daily (@epeakdallas) May 11, 2016
The law has been condemned by gay-rights groups, businesses, sports leagues and entertainers. North Carolina's top officials are now suing, and being sued by, the Department of Justice.
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it was suing to overturn North Carolina’s new law restricting transgender bathroom access. The DoJ also warned that similar measures in other states could also face challenges from the Department of Justice on grounds that they violate federal nondiscrimination rules. North Carolina, in turn, has sued to keep the law in place.
Multiple other states have proposed similar laws in recent months limiting protections for LGBT people. On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, sued that state over a law that will allow workers to use their religious objections to gay marriage in order to deny services to people.
“All city agencies should not bring any North Carolina or Mississippi travel requests to the Board of Estimates until the situates changes,” said Rawlings Blake.
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