Director Rob Reiner on Friday called
for a filming boycott in North Carolina over passage of a law that
effectively repeals an LGBT protections ordinance in Charlotte.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory
last week signed into law House Bill 2, which bars any city, town or
municipality from enacting measures that prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law also makes
North Carolina the first state in the nation to prohibit students in
public schools from using the bathroom that does not conform to their
gender at birth. Similar attempts in South Dakota and Tennessee
failed this legislative session.
Charlotte's ordinance was scheduled to
take effect on April 1. State lawmakers held a one-day special
session at a cost of $42,000 to pass House Bill 2.
“Until this hateful law is repealed
and LGBT North Carolinans are treated with the equal dignity they
deserve, I will not film another production in North Carolina, and I
encourage my colleagues in the entertainment industry to vow to do
the same,” Reiner said in a statement.
Reiner, 69, is best known for directing
Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good
Men.