"HB2 is hurting North Carolina's commerce" blared the headline for a Twitter "Moment" this evening which all but celebrated the left-wing corporate and political bullying of the Tar Heel State for its law overriding a Charlotte "bathroom bill" ordinance.
Tweets marking the left-wing boycott read like a who's who of boutique liberal media outlets from VICE to Vanity Fair to The Hollywood Reporter, and, of course, The New York Times.
While conservatives or supporters of HB2 were shut out of the conversation, Twitter made sure to include the perspective of a U.S. Senator from Oregon, liberal Democrat Jeff Merkley, who lectured:
Discrimination doesn’t pay. It's time for North Carolina policymakers to catch up and move #EqualityForward #HB2
Imagine a conservative senator from a red state taking to Twitter to hector a liberal state about it abortion laws, its restrictive gun-control policies, or it granting of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants? Would the microblogging service give a virtual pat on the back for such a move? Or would it be more likely to find a bunch of Twitter users lecturing said conservative politician to mind his own business and let liberal states pursue liberal policies?
One final note: As if to add insult to injury, Twitter got its cover photo for their anti-HB2 Moment from the account of former Florida congressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West, no leftist he (see below):
