‘Proud’ Pennsylvania could host NCAA games taken from NC, senator says | McClatchy Washington Bureau

Pennsylvania’s senior senator is adding his home state’s name to the list of places eager to host the college championship games stripped from North Carolina this week over the Tar Heel State's controversial transgender bathroom law.

In the past, Pennsylvania’s hosted the Pope, the Democratic National Convention, various high-profile athletic competitions, and world leaders in a G-20 Summit. Now, says U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., it can handle the displaced NCAA championship tournament games, originally planned in three cities in North Carolina.

Pennsylvania also has several large NCAA Division 1 schools.

The NCAA announced this week it would remove championship play from North Carolina because it takes issue with the state’s HB2 law. HB2, or House Bill 2, passed the Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly earlier this year and requires people use public restrooms in schools and on government property according to their birth sex, not necessarily their gender identity.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates, and other critics, say the law discriminates against transgender people who do not identify with their birth sex.

NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement about pulling the college games over HB2: “Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports ... We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships.”

In response, North Carolina Republican leaders have called foul, saying the NCAA’s decision – and similar rebukes of HB2 made by the ACC, the NBA and a slew of celebrities and large corporations – are based on politics. The North Carolina Republican Party called the NCAA’s move “so absurd it’s almost comical” and has defended HB2 as a measure necessary for privacy and safety, particularly in women’s restrooms.

North Carolina and the federal government are currently fighting legal battles over the issue.

Pennsylvania’s Casey has called HB2 a means of “state-sponsored discrimination.” He is a co-sponsor of federal legislation to expand civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as a protected class, similar to race, religion, disability status and other traits.

In a letter to the NCAA president Thursday, Casey wrote: “Pennsylvania is proud of its diversity across the Commonwealth. We strive to achieve equality ... regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or sexual identification.”