Beware the company you keep: Anti-LGBT laws foster culture of exclusion that harms state economies
by George B. Cunningham, The Conversation at Salon
http://www.salon.com/2017/02/13/beware-the-company-you-keep-anti-lgbt-laws-foster-culture-of-exclusion-that-harms-state-economies_partner/
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Beyond such moral objections, these bills also carry a host of economic, health and other consequences, as North Carolina has learned. Research in the area of regional economic development, and my own work with sport organizations, shows how laws such as these send a message of exclusion, drive away creative people, and ultimately hurt workplace creativity and performance. As a result, long-term economic prosperity suffers.
Protection of people
Proponents of so-called bathroom bills tend to argue that they’re trying to stop sexual predators and would-be child molesters from abusing local laws that allow trans people to use the restroom of the gender with which they identify. However, there is a no scientific evidence linking members of the LGBT community with child molestation.
Others suggest that men would pretend to be trans so they might be able to assault women and children in women’s restrooms. These fears are not supported by statistics, however, as communities that have inclusive bathroom policies have not witnessed a rise in assault cases.
Thus, the underlying premise — protection of people — is based on outdated stereotypes, faulty science and zero evidence. Rather, discriminatory laws tend to cause harm, in terms of health and well-being.
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