LGBT Activists Livid Over Possible Apple Corporate Hub in North Carolina

Though led by an openly gay CEO, Apple Inc. is considering building a corporate hub in North Carolina, the site of numerous boycotts for a transphobic law and a ban on LGBT protections that passed in 2016.

The state garnered infamy for the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which mandated people use public restrooms and changing rooms that correspond with their birth certificate not their gender identity. The law, signed by anti-LGBT Republican governor Pat McCrory, led to boycotts by corporations like PayPal and Deutsche Bank, and a number of A-list musicians. Even the NBA, NCAA, and Atlantic Coast Conference refused to hold championships in the state until the law was repealed.

The legislation was partly repealed in March 2017 by newly-elected Democratic governor Roy Cooper, leaving many LGBT activists unhappy with the compromise. North Carolina still forbids cities from adopting protections for their LGBT residents and has nothing on the books to prevent discrimination against queer people in employment, housing, or education, reports the Human Rights Campaign.

The government and economic development official made their statements about the proposed Apple office anonymously. However, the project, which would create 5,000 jobs in the state, will be hard to keep under wraps. Top state legislators have already committed this week to major tax breaks for employers that could promise thousands of jobs, though deny it is directly tied to Apple's interest.

Apple declined to comment on how LGBT issues impact its decisions.