[News] [NC, USA] SoCon stays in Asheville; highlights HB2 boycott debate
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Asheville Citizen-Times, NC, USA
SoCon stays in Asheville; highlights HB2 boycott debate
Joel Burgess, jbur...@citizen-times.com
4:51 p.m. EDT September 30, 2016
ASHEVILLE - Friday's decision to keep Southern Conference sports tournaments in North Carolina was greeted with relief by many, but also highlighted the debate among opponents of anti-LGBTQ legislation over how to push for change while not hurting gay-friendly communities.
SoCon officials announced Friday morning that unlike the ACC and NCAA they would keep tournaments in the state despite opposition to the state's controversial law preventing cities and counties from passing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Supporters of House Bill 2, or "HB2" as it's become known, say it protects people from having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with people of the opposite sex.
SoCon Commissioner John Iamarino emphasized that his organization opposes HB2 but didn't want to hurt Asheville, which hosts the men's and women's basketball tournaments, or Pinehurst, where the men's golf tournament is held.
"I think our presidents and chancellors understood this was probably a no-win situation," Iamarino said. The organization said it would revisit the decision next year.
In deciding to stay, the commissioner cited strong support from city, Buncombe County and local state legislators as well as LGBTQ advocates, who attended a Sept. 20 meeting of more than 30 people with SoCon officials at the U.S. Cellular Center. But even among LGBTQ groups at the meeting there were different attitudes toward a boycott.
Blue Ridge Pride Center President Michael-David Carter urged SoCon to stay, saying exiting would hurt all of Asheville where sentiment has been strong against HB2.
"It doesn't make any sense for these businesses and organizations to pull out of North Carolina and hurt the citizens of North Carolina for a decision that was made by a few legislators," Carter said.
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who is in line to become Buncombe County's first LGBTQ commissioner and is director for Campaign for Southern Equality, said her group didn't try to persuade the SoCon one way or the other and said they had seen the "effect and power" of the NCAA and ACC choices to boycott.
"The NCAA statement was very powerful and addressed multiple prongs of HB2," Beach-Ferrara said.
The 2017 tournament is scheduled for the first week in March. It was first held in Asheville from 1984-95, then moved around to several locations. Following heavy courting by local officials it came back in 2012 helping spur $14 million in renovations to the Cellular Center and generating $3 million to $4 million annually, according to one estimate.
After HB2 passed the Republican-controlled General Assembly on March 23, outcry ensued. Corporations pulled back, such as PayPal, which decided to scrap an expansion, and musicians including Bruce Springsteen cancelled concerts. In Asheville, businesses reported millions in losses. The NCAA announced it would pull tournament games and then on Sept. 14 the ACC followed suit, causing SoCon to hold an emergency meeting.
Local officials reacted with an organized effort to persuade SoCon to stay.
Following the Friday decision Mayor Esther Manheimer said she was thankful that the sports organization differentiated between city and state policies.
"I’m very thankful to the Southern Conference for making the decision to stay, and I think to honor that decision we will continue to strive to be a community that is open and inclusive for all," Manheimer said.
Four Democratic state lawmakers representing all or part of Asheville oppose HB2, including District 115 Rep. John Ager. His Republican opponent, Dr. Frank Moretz, also opposes the law.
Supporting the law is state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, whose District 48 covers a small piece of South Asheville.
"I am glad the Southern Conference made the right decision to honor its commitment to Asheville and North Carolina," Edwards said, noting that the state gives private venues such as those hosting the tournaments the right to set up their own bathrooms and locker rooms.
Democratic challenger Norm Bossert of Transylvania County highlighted the negative economic impact of the law, saying he was glad SoCon was staying and also that the group was emphasizing its opposition to HB2.
"I don’t support HB2 either. But we’ve lost an awful lot of opportunities in the Asheville area that have a real impact on people’s personal economics," Bossert said.
Along with organized support from Asheville area government and civic leaders, SoCon officials cited plans by the city-owned Cellular Center to accommodate gender-neutral bathrooms.
Officials with Pinehurst resort, which is located in the town of the same name, didn't return calls and emails Friday.
Since SoCon was deciding to stay, Beach-Ferrara said the sports organization should make an effort to advance the cause of LGBTQ rights and that it should be "broader than just (bathroom) signs."
"We will keep working toward and calling for that," she said.
The Campaign for Southern Equality is working with Equality NC, which Friday praised the boycott decision by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The CIAA decided to pull their championship games from North Carolina.
http://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/2016/09/30/socon-keep-championships-asheville-state/91317128/
SoCon stays in Asheville; highlights HB2 boycott debate
Joel Burgess, jbur...@citizen-times.com
4:51 p.m. EDT September 30, 2016
ASHEVILLE - Friday's decision to keep Southern Conference sports tournaments in North Carolina was greeted with relief by many, but also highlighted the debate among opponents of anti-LGBTQ legislation over how to push for change while not hurting gay-friendly communities.
SoCon officials announced Friday morning that unlike the ACC and NCAA they would keep tournaments in the state despite opposition to the state's controversial law preventing cities and counties from passing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Supporters of House Bill 2, or "HB2" as it's become known, say it protects people from having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with people of the opposite sex.
SoCon Commissioner John Iamarino emphasized that his organization opposes HB2 but didn't want to hurt Asheville, which hosts the men's and women's basketball tournaments, or Pinehurst, where the men's golf tournament is held.
"I think our presidents and chancellors understood this was probably a no-win situation," Iamarino said. The organization said it would revisit the decision next year.
In deciding to stay, the commissioner cited strong support from city, Buncombe County and local state legislators as well as LGBTQ advocates, who attended a Sept. 20 meeting of more than 30 people with SoCon officials at the U.S. Cellular Center. But even among LGBTQ groups at the meeting there were different attitudes toward a boycott.
Blue Ridge Pride Center President Michael-David Carter urged SoCon to stay, saying exiting would hurt all of Asheville where sentiment has been strong against HB2.
"It doesn't make any sense for these businesses and organizations to pull out of North Carolina and hurt the citizens of North Carolina for a decision that was made by a few legislators," Carter said.
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who is in line to become Buncombe County's first LGBTQ commissioner and is director for Campaign for Southern Equality, said her group didn't try to persuade the SoCon one way or the other and said they had seen the "effect and power" of the NCAA and ACC choices to boycott.
"The NCAA statement was very powerful and addressed multiple prongs of HB2," Beach-Ferrara said.
The 2017 tournament is scheduled for the first week in March. It was first held in Asheville from 1984-95, then moved around to several locations. Following heavy courting by local officials it came back in 2012 helping spur $14 million in renovations to the Cellular Center and generating $3 million to $4 million annually, according to one estimate.
After HB2 passed the Republican-controlled General Assembly on March 23, outcry ensued. Corporations pulled back, such as PayPal, which decided to scrap an expansion, and musicians including Bruce Springsteen cancelled concerts. In Asheville, businesses reported millions in losses. The NCAA announced it would pull tournament games and then on Sept. 14 the ACC followed suit, causing SoCon to hold an emergency meeting.
Local officials reacted with an organized effort to persuade SoCon to stay.
Following the Friday decision Mayor Esther Manheimer said she was thankful that the sports organization differentiated between city and state policies.
"I’m very thankful to the Southern Conference for making the decision to stay, and I think to honor that decision we will continue to strive to be a community that is open and inclusive for all," Manheimer said.
Four Democratic state lawmakers representing all or part of Asheville oppose HB2, including District 115 Rep. John Ager. His Republican opponent, Dr. Frank Moretz, also opposes the law.
Supporting the law is state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, whose District 48 covers a small piece of South Asheville.
"I am glad the Southern Conference made the right decision to honor its commitment to Asheville and North Carolina," Edwards said, noting that the state gives private venues such as those hosting the tournaments the right to set up their own bathrooms and locker rooms.
Democratic challenger Norm Bossert of Transylvania County highlighted the negative economic impact of the law, saying he was glad SoCon was staying and also that the group was emphasizing its opposition to HB2.
"I don’t support HB2 either. But we’ve lost an awful lot of opportunities in the Asheville area that have a real impact on people’s personal economics," Bossert said.
Along with organized support from Asheville area government and civic leaders, SoCon officials cited plans by the city-owned Cellular Center to accommodate gender-neutral bathrooms.
Officials with Pinehurst resort, which is located in the town of the same name, didn't return calls and emails Friday.
Since SoCon was deciding to stay, Beach-Ferrara said the sports organization should make an effort to advance the cause of LGBTQ rights and that it should be "broader than just (bathroom) signs."
"We will keep working toward and calling for that," she said.
The Campaign for Southern Equality is working with Equality NC, which Friday praised the boycott decision by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The CIAA decided to pull their championship games from North Carolina.
http://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/2016/09/30/socon-keep-championships-asheville-state/91317128/
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