Women's rights group UltraViolet is asking Nike not to be involved in the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, N.C. The reason for the proposed boycott is North Carolina's House Bill 2, a controversial new law that the group calls "one of the worst anti-LGBTQ laws in the country."
According to Footwear News, UltraViolet says that the petition for companies like Nike and Pepsi to withdraw their support from the event already has over 42,000 signatures.
Ironically for UltraViolet, Nike is not a sponsor of the NBA until the 2017-2018 season. Adidas is still the official sponsor of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
The NBA has also faced criticism over the coming All-Star Weekend in Charlotte following the passing of the law.
While Nike's supported gay rights in the past (it recently terminated its endorsement of boxer Manny Pacquiao over homophobic comments), there is no sign yet of the brand backing out of the event. At this point Nike complying seems unlikely given the heavy involvement of Michael Jordan in bringing the game to Charlotte, where he's an owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
See the UltraViolet petition here.
