Gov. Pat McCrory has released a campaign ad that pushes back against the outcry over North Carolina's HB2.
The 30-second ad released Wednesday references the ordinance passed by the Charlotte City Council that was blocked by HB2. It would have allowed transgender people to use bathrooms that align with their gender identities.
"You know, when we were raising average teacher pay, creating new jobs and cutting taxes, other folks were actually pushing to make our schools allow boys to use the girls' locker rooms and showers," McCrory said.
HB2 requires people to use public restrooms that correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificate. It also limits anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people.
In the advertisement, McCrory focuses on the bathroom provision of the law, and dismisses opponents of HB2, who have argued that the law is discriminatory.
"Are we really talking about this?" McCrory asks. "Does the desire to be politically correct outweigh our children's privacy and safety? Not on my watch."
McCrory's opponent, Democratic attorney general Roy Cooper, has spoken out against the law, and has said he will not defend it in court.
