NC Democrats Draft Anti-Discrimination Bill in Response to Controversial HB2

— -- Democrats in North Carolina have introduced an LGBT nondiscrimination bill in response to House Bill 2, which critics have widely considered to be anti-LGBT due to stipulations in its bathroom laws.

The Equality for All Act, filed today, will protect "all North Carolinians against discrimination in all walks of life," the bill states.

"Protected status" is defined by a "person's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or genetic information."

The Equality for All Act would protect citizens from discrimination in real estate transactions or housing practices, employment, places of public accommodation, credit lenders, insurance and education.

The bill will also create a "human relations" commission that will promote equality of opportunity for all citizens, promote understanding, respect and goodwill for all citizens and provide channels of communication among races.

North Carolina's House Bill 2 has been facing criticism since it was passed in late March. The law declares that state law overrides all local ordinances concerning wages, employement and public accommodations. It also directs all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require that multiple-occupancy bathrooms and changing facilities, such as locker rooms, be designated for use only by people based on the "biological sex" stated on their birth certificates.

House Bill 2 has been characterized by critics as "the most anti-LGBT bill in the county."