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Michael Jordan Speaks Out Against North Carolina's Anti-Gay Law

The regulation could prevent Charlotte from hosting the NBA All-Star Game.

Over the course of his career and into his retirement, Michael Jordan has made it a point to not speak up about many socially conscious matters in the news.

The Hall of Famer even once notoriously said, "Republicans buy sneakers, too," referencing how he wouldn't want to rub them the wrong way with viewpoints and jeopardize his Air Jordan sales.

That being said, MJ is speaking up now. As the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan is blasting North Carolina's anti-gay House Bill 2, which was recently passed into law.

“As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment,” Jordan said in a statement to the Charlotte Observer about the controversial law. “As has been the case since the building opened, we will continue to ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome while at work or attending NBA games and events at Time Warner Cable Arena.”

The Observer says that the law voided any local regulations that would protect gay or transgender people from being fired for their sexual orientation or identity.  

 

The law could have Charlotte, which was awarded the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend, losing the event and the projected $100 million-plus of revenue that comes with it.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has already called the law "problematic" for the league.

“We’ve been, I think, crystal clear a change in the law is necessary for us to play in the kind of environment that we think is appropriate for a celebratory NBA event,” Silver recently said, as reported by the Observer.

Props to Jordan and the NBA for publicly speaking out against the law.

 

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