IKEA, Merck and AIG are among the
latest companies to join nearly 200 businesses opposed to a North
Carolina law that targets the LGBT community.
House Bill 2 blocks local
municipalities from enacting LGBT protections and prohibits
transgender people – including students – from using the bathroom
of their choice in government buildings.
Also signing on this week to an open
letter calling on Republican Governor Pat McCrory to repeal House
Bill 2 are 23andMe, Instacart, The Honest Company, United Guaranty
Corporation, Cabot Creamery, Castlight Health, Inc., Willis Towers
Watson, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Yadkin Bank and Direct
Marketing Association.
“Discrimination is wrong, and we
believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our
country,” the
letter, organized by HRC and Equality North Carolina, states.
“As companies that pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming
to all, we strongly urge you and the leadership of North Carolina's
legislature to repeal this law in the upcoming legislative session.”
Since the letter's introduction in
March, lawmakers have returned to work. Republican leaders, however,
continue to publicly defend the law.
(Related: North
Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory calls PayPal's stance on anti-gay law
“hypocritical.”)