Report: Seahawks' Russell Wilson moved wedding due to North Carolina law

BySHEIL KAPADIA
August 22, 2016, 7:20 PM

— -- The wedding planner for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara said the couple initially planned to get married in North Carolina but changed locations because of the state's transgender bathroom law.

"I did the whole thing -- three times," wedding planner Mindy Weiss told The Knot. "They were first getting married in North Carolina, but they called it off due to the transgender bathroom laws. But it was really done."

Wilson and Ciara were then going to move the wedding to Paris, but it was Fashion Week. They ended up getting married in London.

Wilson spoke last month about the responsibility of athletes to promote social change.

"Well, I think we all have a responsibility," he said. "It's not just on athletes, it's not just on coaches, it's not just on anybody in particular. It's on all of us. I think ultimately it comes down to love and appreciating one another and respect for one another.

"It's an appreciation for society, an appreciation for the country we live in, an appreciation for the towns and cities that we live in. Ultimately, it comes down to all of us to make sure we appreciate one another."

The law, enacted earlier this year, requires transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates.

The law applies only to bathrooms in government buildings, public schools and public universities. It does not apply to private universities, and private companies are allowed to implement any policy they choose.

Opponents of the law argue the measure limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people.