Washington bans nonessential travel to North Carolina

Austin Stallings
Journalism Intern

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has joined other government officials in banning nearly all official travel to North Carolina because of the state's law halting anti-discrimination rules.

Inslee on Tuesday joined the governor of New York and the mayors of Seattle and San Francisco, who have banned anything but essential travel to North Carolina on the public's dime. In making the announcement, Inslee praised Washington's law that requires buildings open to the public to allow transgender people to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with the way they identify.

The travel ban is "consistent with our state's approach to tolerance, fairness and a lack of discrimination," Inslee said to reporters. "And I do think these things — they're mostly symbolic — but symbolism is important when it comes to ending discrimination in our country."

More bans are expected to be issued by states at the guidance of the Human Rights Commission.

The Gayly 3/30/2016 @ 3:05 CDT