Yesterday, in the year 2016, the first Black woman Attorney General of the United States of America handed a White, conservative Southern governor his ass on live TV. And it was splendid.
Let me catch you up: North Carolina recently passed a law mandating that everyone using a bathroom at state facilities — including schools — use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender listed on their birth certificate, regardless of whether that gender matches a person’s gender identity. The law also preempts local jurisdictions from passing LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.
Last week, the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, sent NC Governor Pat McCrory a letter telling him that the law violates the Civil Rights Act, threatening to take action if he intends to enforce it. They gave him until Monday to respond.
Governor McCrory, who signed the bill after a 12-hour emergency legislative session called simply to police potties across the state, said three business days was not nearly long enough to decide if he didn’t want to get sued by the Federal Government, and begged for an extension. AG Lynch didn’t back down; she offered him the extension if he acknowledged that his law was a piece of discriminatory crap. He refused to do that and instead filed suit saying the DOJ’s actions amount to a redefinition of the Civil Rights Act because that wasn’t about peeing. Or something.
AG Lynch slapped the state of NC with a counter suit and went on TV yesterday to tell the nation in no uncertain terms that there will be NO SHENANIGANS when it comes to trans people and their right to exist. She looked right at the camera and said this:
“Let me also speak directly to the transgender community itself. Some of you have lived freely for decades. Others of you are still wondering how you can possibly live the lives you were born to lead. But no matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. Please know that history is on your side. This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy — but we’ll get there together.”
BOOM.
In addition to No Fucks Obama, we’ve got No Fucks Loretta Lynch reporting for duty. Instead of letting discriminatory bills get worked out over years of court battles, Obama’s top law enforcement officer — acting with his blessing — is going to dismantle discriminatory structures before they even get fully built.
This is what makes America great, folks: people with power standing up for for the powerless.
