NFL Comments on Proposed Transgender Legislation Regarding Bathrooms

A controversial Texas bill being proposed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has drawn a response from the NFL.  

In January, per Chuck Lindell of the Austin-American Statesman, Patrick and Texas state senator Lois Kolkhorst unveiled Senate Bill 6 at the Texas Senate chamber. The bill would overturn local ordinances and prevent transgender people from using the bathroom of the gender which they identify. 

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy issued a brief statement regarding the proposal.

"The NFL embraces inclusiveness," McCarthy said in an email to Ileana Najarro of the Houston Chronicle. "We want all fans to feel welcomed at our events, and NFL policies prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard."

Najarro also noted McCarthy deemed the measure "discriminatory or inconsistent with our values" and could potentially discourage the NFL from holding future Super Bowls in the state. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to McCarthy's comments via his Twitter account Saturday:

The proposed legislation is not dissimilar from North Carolina's House Bill 2. According to the Charlotte Observer, HB2 was introduced last year to "[reverse] a Charlotte ordinance that had extended some rights to people who are gay or transgender."

As a result of North Carolina's law, several sports organizations moved events away from the state, including the NBA All-Star Game and seven NCAA championship events.

Houston's NRG Stadium served as host for Super Bowl 51 last Sunday. The league currently has the next four Super Bowl sites scheduled to take place in Minnesota, Georgia, Florida and California.