NC governor promises more LGBT protections

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Tuesday said he would soon issue an executive order expanding LGBT protections. 

Speaking at a Center for American Progress conference, Cooper did not elaborate on what the measure would do but vowed to take action “that is comprehensive that helps with LGBT protections.”

He also explained his decision to sign a compromise bill in March that repealed the state’s HB2, a controversial measure that voided local anti-discrimination ordinances, including a Charlotte, N.C., law protecting transgender people who use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

{mosads}The compromise bill, however, drew scrutiny from some Democratic activists because it placed restrictions on local anti-discrimination ordinances. 

“Although it would have been politically and probably emotionally easier for me to keep pounding the table and not accept a compromise, I knew it wasn’t right for my state,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t right for LGBT citizens in my state.”

Cooper’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, signed an executive order last year expanding anti-discrimination protections for state employees to include sexual orientation and gender identity.