In past years, Republican-controlled state houses have been taking away cities rights to enact their own laws. The most recent example is North Carolina’s new law, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, or as it is more commonly known as, HB 2. Passed in March, this law overrides “Charlotte’s law that said transgender people in the state’s largest city could use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity.” (Barbash). HB 2 also nullified some local statutes that would’ve increased protections for the LGBT community. (Gordon, Peralta, Price). This law makes it illegal for cities to expand on laws that regulate things such as workplace discrimination and minimum wage standards. HB 2 also tries to make things consistent with regulating public accommodations and the regulation of employment. As with any other law, HB 2 had to go through a series of law making bodies before it could be enacted. In accordance with the North Carolina General Assembly, a bill must first be introduced to
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If you were to look at this law from a utilitarian perspective, you would be against it. Utilitarian’s believe the moral thing to do is to maximize a person’s happiness and to do whatever it takes to prevent pain. According to Michael J. Sandel in his book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to do?, “According to Bentham, the right thing to do is whatever will maximize utility…whatever produces pleasure or happiness, and whatever prevents pain or suffering.” (Sandel 34). HB 2 goes against the utilitarian perspective because it is depriving transgender people of the happiness that they get from being able to be themselves. By not being allowed to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities, they are being forced to be something that they are not, thus depriving them of happiness and causing them to emotionally
If you were to look at this law from a utilitarian perspective, you would be against it. Utilitarian’s believe the moral thing to do is to maximize a person’s happiness and to do whatever it takes to prevent pain. According to Michael J. Sandel in his book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to do?, “According to Bentham, the right thing to do is whatever will maximize utility…whatever produces pleasure or happiness, and whatever prevents pain or suffering.” (Sandel 34). HB 2 goes against the utilitarian perspective because it is depriving transgender people of the happiness that they get from being able to be themselves. By not being allowed to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities, they are being forced to be something that they are not, thus depriving them of happiness and causing them to emotionally