Bank Freezes Jobs Plan Over Transgender Law

Deutsche Bank (LSE: 0H7D.L - news) has become the latest corporation to punish North Carolina over its controversial transgender law.

The German bank announced on Tuesday it was shelving plans to create 250 jobs at its Cary offices because of the measure.

The state last month enacted the HB2 law, which requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that match their birth gender.

Deutsche Bank co-chief executive John Cryan said the law "invalidated existing protections of the rights of gay, bisexual and transgender fellow citizens in some municipalities and prevents municipalities from adopting such protections in the future".

The bank unveiled plans in September for the new $85,600-a-year posts at its global technology centre, where the company currently has 900 employees.

Deutsche Bank said in a statement the bank would not reduce its existing presence in Cary.

Porn website xHamster has meanwhile blocked people in North Carolina from accessing its content because of the law.

Last week, PayPal dropped plans to build a new operations centre in Charlotte, which would have employed some 400 skilled workers, because of HB2.

Supporters of the measure say it is needed to keep women and children safe in restrooms and to protect religious freedom.

A raft of socially conservative measures have been passed or considered by Republican state lawmakers in southern states since the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage last year.

Musicians Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams have cancelled concerts in North Carolina and Mississippi in recent days over such laws.

On Monday evening, Tennessee lawmakers approved a bill allowing counsellors to cite religious beliefs for refusing service to patients (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .