“Town hall” style forum on repealing HB2, April 21at UUCA

Press release from Campaign for Southern Equality:

On April 21, local organizations are hosting a Town Hall to discuss the impact of HB2 and efforts to repeal the bill during the next session of the North Carolina General Assembly. The Town Hall will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (1 Edwin Place, Asheville, 28801). This event is part of a series of town halls taking place across the state led by local groups and Turn Out NC to organize against HB2.

Speakers at the Asheville Town Hall include attorneys, organizers and faith leaders from the Campaign for Southern Equality, Tranzmission, Asheville-Buncombe NAACP, the ACLU of North Carolina, COLAGE, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville.

“HB2 is a blatant, unconstitutional attack on the transgender community in North Carolina and we call for its immediate repeal. We must come together as a community to organize and support each other to make Asheville, and North Carolina, safe for all of it’s citizens,” says Ivy Hill, LGBT Rights Toolkit Coordinator for the Campaign for Southern Equality.

“While transgender people are clearly targets of HB2 we need to ensure that all aspects of this legislation and its impacts are fully understood. HB2 takes the rights of cities and municipalities to establish their own minimum wage standards and discrimination clauses. This rolls back protections based on race, gender, age, and veteran status, along with the more publicized protections for sexual orientation and gender identity,” says Zeek Christopoulos, Director of  Tranzmission, a local organization dedicated to making the lives of transgender and non-binary people healthier, happier and safer through education, advocacy and support.

HB2 is a sweeping new state law that violates basic privacy rights for transgender people, bans local ordinances providing LGBT protections, prohibits workers from taking legal action in state court regarding employment discrimination, and prohibits local communities from setting minimum wage policy. The law has come under broad attack from the LGBT community, the business sector, and city and county governments across the state.

Schedule for Asheville Town Hall:

5:30 – 6:45 p.m: Town Hall forum moderated by Rev. Lisa Bovee-Kemper and featuring:

Chris Brook, attorney, ACLU-NC and lead attorney on litigation challenging HB2;
Meghann Burke, attorney, Brazil & Burke and Campaign for Southern Equality;
Zeek Christopoulos, Director, Tranzmission;
Kaley Fry, Associate Director of Youth and Family Programs, COLAGE;
Ivy Hill, LGBT Rights Toolkit Coordinator, Campaign for Southern Equality;
Carmen Ramos-Kennedy, President, Asheville-Buncombe County NAACP;
Allison Scott, Organizer, Tranzmission.

6:45 – 7:30 p.m: Organizing to repeal HB2 during the North Carolina General Assembly session beginning on April 25 in Raleigh; Trans ally education; peer support; refreshments.

The Campaign for Southern Equality, Tranzmission, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville are lead sponsors of the Asheville Town Hall. Co-sponsors are Turn Out NC, ACLU of North Carolina, Asheville-Buncombe County NAACP, BeLoved Community, Black Lives Matter Asheville, COLAGE, Just Economics of Western North Carolina, Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, and More Light Presbyterians.