Raleigh, North Carolina's News & Observer produced a video featuring eight transgender citizens of the state sharing their feelings on HB2, which has drawn nationwide criticism as well as threats of boycott.
Related | Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert Because of Anti-LGBT Laws
"I think that a lot of our leaders still like to think that the transgender community is far removed from North Carolina. That here, we don't really have those people," says Candis Cox. "They don't understand what transgender is. They've created this villainized character of the transgender person as a sexual predator. They need to understand that that's not the case. That is a stereotype, that is a sign of ignorance."
Related | North Carolina Passes Bill Banning LGBT Protections
"It's not going to stop us. I think we're going to continue to persevere and look out for our youth, as well as probably using the restroom that we want to anyhow," says CJ Lewis. "This is something that's going backwards as far as societal progress, so we want to continue moving in the direction that society should be moving in. We're not going to let HB2 or any sort of legislation stop that and take away our rights."
Check out the video below:
[h/t] The New Civil Rights Movement