Governor Andrew Cuomo is doing whatever he can to put pressure on North Carolina after the passing of their anti-LGBT law…
It has almost been a year since the United States’ Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, officially legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the country.
But for residents of New York state, the Big Apple has had a longer history of support of same-sex marriage, even being home to Greenwich Village where the historic Stonewall Riots took place in 1969.
In light of the recently enacted North Carolina law that would ban individuals from using restrooms indicated on their birth certificates, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued a ban on state residents, prohibiting non-essential state travel to North Carolina.
This ban excludes travel that is necessary to NY State law such as protection of public, health or safety or if there is some previously established contractual agreement requiring travel.
“In New York, we believe that all people – regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation – deserve the same rights and protections under the eyes of the law,” Cuomo said in an official statement. “Our state has been a beacon of hope for the LGBT community, and we will not stand idly by as the misguided legislation replicates the discrimination of the past.”
The ban went into effect on Monday March 28, 2016 and will remain in place until North Carolina revokes the law that allows LGBT discrimination.
This is not the first time Governor Andrew Cuomo has used his political power to show his, as well as New York’s, support of the LGBT community. Cuomo promised to support same-sex marriage in New York during his election campaign, and in 2011 he saw the successful legalization of same-sex marriage in his state.
In 2015, he also issued a similar ban on nonessential travels to Indiana after the state had passed SB 101. Cuomo had reversed the ban only after Indiana added an amendment that prevented the bill being used as a means to discriminate against the LGBT community.
This drop in travelers from New York State isn’t the only opposition for North Carolina. The bill has brought on lawsuits from LGBT groups. San Francisco’s and Seattle’s mayors have also enacted similar bans to Cuomo’s. Major companies such as American Airlines, Facebook, and Paypal have publicly voiced their disagreement with the law, and the NBA is also threatening to remove the All-Star game from Charlotte next year if the law remains.
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