Less than a week after Super Bowl LI was played in Houston, the NFL has warned Texas that future events, including a Super Bowl, could be withheld from the state if a “bathroom bill” targeting the transgender community is passed.
NFL warns Texas ‘discriminatory’ bathroom bill could cost state future Super Bowl bids
The NFL has put similar political pressure on states in the past.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled the bill in January and it has already received opposition from many business groups in the state. The proposition would require persons to use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate.
“The NFL embraces inclusiveness,” NFL representative Brian McCarthy said, via the Los Angeles Times. “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.
“If a proposal that is discriminatory or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events.”
The Super Bowl is already booked for the next four years with Minneapolis, Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles scheduled to host the next four, respectively. The next game that doesn’t have a home is Super Bowl LVI in 2022, which could receive a bid from Dallas.
But the NFL stripping a team of an opportunity to host a Super Bowl wouldn’t be unprecedented. More than two decades ago, Arizona lost a Super Bowl after the state refused to recognize Martin Luther King Day as an official state holiday. The NFL responded by moving Super Bowl XXVII from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Last year, the NFL took a similar stance in opposition to a “religious freedom” bill in Georgia that would’ve allowed faith-based organizations and individuals to opt out of serving gay couples on religious grounds. The bill was vetoed and Atlanta was later awarded Super Bowl LVII.
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