Texas legislators are supposed to meet in July in order to discuss a bill which prevents protection for transgender students from using the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. According to various sources, this could affect the Dallas Cowboy’s hopes to host the NFL Draft next year.
Dallas Morning News’ David Moore says that if the House Bill 2899 passes, there is a large possibility that the Cowboys will not host the 2018 NFL Draft. Moor wrote:
“The timing of the NFL’s decision isn’t tied to the Texas legislative schedule, which begins its special session July 18. The league has awarded the draft in August, September and October the last three years. But the timetable works to the league’s advantage by letting the issue play out without inserting itself into what has become a contentious public debate.”
The team from Dallas, Texas has already made a pitch to host the draft in April next year, but it doesn’t secure anything. According to Samantha Allen of the Daily Beast, the state’s Governor Greg Abbott has already called the state’s legislature in order to reconvene for a special session. Hopefully, they can pass the controversial bill.
“The law to which Abbott was referring, HB 2899, would bar school districts and municipalities from implementing restroom protections for transgender students,” Allen wrote. “If passed, it would land at a time when federal court victories have been stacking up for transgender students who have been denied restroom rights.”
The similar bill was passed last year in North California and in response to that, the 2017 NBA All-Star Game was relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans. However, in March, North Carolina lawmakers repealed the bill.
The 2018 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 26, while the location remains unknown, so stay tuned for more details.
