North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said the Justice Department’s legal response to the state’s “bathroom” policy is an example of how the federal government is overpowering the states.
“It’s like Big Brother has descended on us in North Carolina,” the Republican first-term governor told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren Monday night.
The comparison came hours after the Department of Justice announced a federal civil rights lawsuit against North Carolina on Monday for the state’s refusal to rescind House Bill 2, requiring the use of restrooms that correspond with biological gender as listed on the person’s birth certificate. Transgender advocates and others have called the law discriminatory.
McCrory said the government has used the Tar Heel State to influence similar rules in other states. The governor reiterated earlier comments that Congress should add additional context to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
“I think the U.S. Congress needs to further clarify not only sexual orientation being a protected class but we need to figure out what gender identity and gender expression is and the U.S. Congress kind of ignored it and now the Obama administration is interpreting existing law,” McCrory said.
The state of North Carolina will also file suit against the government.
