Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam released the following statement in response to the NCAA decision to relocate championships from North Carolina for the 2016-17 academic year.
“I applaud the NCAA for standing by its commitment to fairness and inclusion by deciding to relocate seven championships out of North Carolina for this academic year.
As I have stated previously, North Carolina’s House Bill 2 is one of the most anti-LGBT laws in the country. Backlash over this bill has resulted in over 180 national employers calling on Governor McCrory to repeal the bill, and expansions from companies like PayPal and Deutsche Bank have been cancelled.
The NCAA’s decision follows that of the National Basketball Association, which has moved the NBA All-Star game out of North Carolina for 2017.
I urge the NCAA to consider Virginia when deciding where to relocate these championships. Governor McAuliffe has followed the precedents of Governors Warner and Kaine in signing an executive order that bans employment discrimination against the LGBT community in state government.
This administration is working every day to make sure that Virginia is open and inclusive. Our ‘open for business’ approach, high quality of life, and world-class colleges and universities make Virginia an ideal destination for NCAA championships. We have gladly hosted NCAA championship events across the Commonwealth, and we would be honored to host more student athletes here in Virginia.”
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