One poll question asked, Should transgender men be allowed to use women’s bathrooms? and another question asked, Do you support HB2?  and the answer to both questions was ‘No’ which sounds like a contradiction but isn’t: It’s a paradox – a case of voters saying to Republicans, We agree with what you set out to do but don’t agree with the way you tried to do it.

When Charlotte passed its law to let transgender men use women’s bathrooms the Republicans in the General Assembly said ‘No way’ and passed HB2, then said allowing gay and transgender men to use women’s bathrooms meant letting sexual predators and child molesters into women’s bathrooms.

Democrats shot back saying equating gays with sexual predators was unfair and, suddenly, the debate was no longer about who used what bathroom – it was Democrats slamming Republicans for being ‘unfair’ and ‘discriminating’ and voters hearing Republicans shoot back saying unkind things about gays that sounded like they might not blink twice at a little unfairness.

It turned out we Republicans had shot our own foot off; now everyone from the NCAA to the ACC to Coach K opposes HB2 and the newspapers are running stories about Republican legislators striking the flag which is bound to be tempting to a lot of politicians – expediency has a way of triumphing over principle seven weeks before an election. But turning back the hands of the clock (by repealing HB2) won’t wipe away people’s memories of all that’s been said and done over the past six months.

Republicans didn’t lose the debate over HB2 because voters supported Charlotte’s ordinance – Republicans lost because of how they fought Charlotte’s ordinance and that’s a mistake we have to fix. Only then will Republicans be able to effectively make a case that transgender men using women’s restrooms isn’t a good idea.