North Carolina residents on life under the state's "bathroom bill"

In March, North Carolina's state legislature passed what has become known as the "bathroom bill", or House Bill 2. Among other things, it bans transgender people from using bathrooms that don't align with their legal gender. 

HB2 caused quite a stir. Several high profile musicians including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Maroon 5 cancelled concerts in the state in protest. The NBA All-Star Game was scheduled to take place in Charlotte, NC in 2017 but the league has since moved the event to New Orleans. 

We wanted to hear from people living in the state about what life is like now that HB2 is law.

Jennifer Whitaker doesn't have any problem with transgender people using their preferred bathrooms, but she does worry about people taking advantage of the law and using it for malicious and predatory purposes. 

Terri Phoenix is the director of the LGBTQ Center at UNC Chapel Hill and identifies as a trans-masculine queer person. Phoenix notes that there is no evidence of trans women seducing young girls in public restrooms. He tries to avoid using public bathrooms and feels that makes it hard to move through public space.

Amanda Ashley is a trans woman and to her, being able to use the women's bathroom is extremely important.

"It's so much more than something as trivial as genitals or where those genitals decide to do their biological functions. I've always been thankful for being able to have access to a women's restroom because not only is it a place of practicality, it is an affirmation to me that I have been accepted. It's affirmation. To deny that is to deny me."