Dear Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act:

For the first time in my 30 years of living, I can say I am ashamed to call myself a resident of the state of North Carolina, and more sadly, the city of Charlotte.

And it isn’t even Charlotte’s fault.

This has been a progressive city for as long as I can remember. People of all colors, sizes, sexual orientations, religions–a melting pot, if you will, of acceptance. Even if someone didn’t agree with someone else’s choices, it was of their own free will. It wasn’t forced upon them by some law that doesn’t even make sense in the first place.

It’s bad enough that this is a “fire-at-will” state, which means a person can pretty much be fired for anything anyway (including choosing to identify a certain gender or choosing to live a certain way). Now there is this law that says: “It doesn’t matter how you identify yourself, because we feel safer knowing where you use the bathroom,” because I spend my days trying to make sure there isn’t a man dressed as a woman, in the women’s bathroom.

I have been around my fair share of queens and let me just tell you (not that they even need me to defend them), they ARE NOT worried about you and your close-minded, judgemental incenuations. Not one bit. If anything, they are trying to make sure that they keep their heads held high because they are proud of who they are, and have to fight for it every. single. day. And because you don’t understand it, or wish to accept it, it gives you the right to say, “we just won’t acknowledge it then,” (you know, the way same-sex couples have been treated for so long).

But even if it we don’t think about it from a moral standpoint (because each one of us lives these picture-perfect lives and have room to judge others), let’s look at what we’ve lost in revenue as not only a state, but also as the once-thriving city of Charlotte.

Home to the NFC Champion, Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Hornets, who were bonafide contenders in the Eastern Conference during the NBA Playoffs, last season, Charlotte has been named home to some of the biggest events in sports, politics, and music.

Bank of America stadium has held international soccer matches, NFL Playoff games and for the past 6 seasons, the Belk Bowl.

Well now, thanks to you, the NCAA decided on Sept. 12, to “remove seven championships scheduled to be held in North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year,” according to Michael Gordon in “Understanding HB2: North Carolina’s Newest Law Solidifies State’s Role in Defining Discrimination. Not only that, but the ACC followed suit, snatching up the title game.

Musicians like Maroon 5 and Bruce Springsteen pulled their shows from Charlotte in protest. I don’t know about anyone else, but I love me some Maroon 5. And you just killed my chance to go sing Songs about Jane…Shame on you!

And let’s not even talk about the 2017 NBA Allstar game being relocated to New Orleans. Just so disappointing. So embarrasing. Especially coming from someone like me who has loved this city her whole life.

As an aspiring journalist, I look for these events as opportunities to network, to grow in my craft, and honestly to enjoy the games. It’s just a  serious bummer that my city has to take this hit because of you.

So thanks for nothing.

Hopefully you’ll be gone soon. And if not, maybe I’ll just have to find somewhere else to adopt me. I’ll make them proud too.

But for now, all I can do is be a disappointed Charlottean ready to see change of any kind, and being sad because I don’t think it will happen any time soon.

Regretfully signed,

Shiree (Charlotte’s favorite Charlottean)