Pat McCrory Is Still Trying to Protect His Anti-LGBT Legacy

With his last grasp to power, Pat McCrory tried to defend the Republican super majority he's relied on in North Carolina to keep his anti-LGBT law in place.

A court ruled after the election that North Carolina had racially gerrymandered districts responsible for sending 28 state House and Senate representatives to the legislature. The state is ordered to redraw the lines and hold new elections.

Now, as put by The Washington Post, "N.C.'s outgoing GOP governor appears to make one last attempt to stick it to the Democrat who beat him." With just one day left in office, McCrory appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court.

He also appointed a bunch of his aides to state boards. It's just the latest of moves in his sour grapes campaign after losing reelection because of his anti-LGBT campaign.

McCrory, who was named The Advocate's "Phobie of the Year" this week, closely identified with the law he signed that bans any city from protecting LGBT residents and forces transgender people to use a bathroom that doesn't match their gender identity whenever they're in public buildings. The rest of the Republican Party is so enamored with the law that a deal to repeal House Bill 2 failed even after McCrory's loss was sealed.

Those same Republicans -- many of whom are threatened by the redistricting and upcoming special election -- also tried to limit the power of the new Democratic governor, Roy Cooper. They passed a series of laws during a lame-duck session and McCrory, of course, signed them. Democrats called it a power grab.

Cooper sued on Friday to challenge part of those laws, with more reportedly to come. The News & Observer reports that a judge put the new limits on an indefinite hold until the new lawsuit by Cooper gets a fair hearing.

Cooper becomes governor of North Carolina at midnight on January 1.