Over 80 tech executives oppose North Carolina's anti-LGBT law in open letter

The CEOs of Facebook, Apple, Lyft, Google, Dropbox, and Tumblr joined more than 80 other company executives in urging Pat McCrory, the governor of North Carolina, to repeal a law that allows for discrimination against LGBT people. In the letter sent today, the CEOs write that they are "disappointed" in the state’s decision to enact the law, which they believe will cause North Carolina to face a brain drain, as its best professional talent moves to other states because of the legislation. "Discrimination is wrong, and we believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our country," the letter says.

The law, which is known as HB 2 and was passed last week, bars transgender people from bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match the gender on their birth certificates. It also supersedes ordinances protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination, The New York Times reports. Gay rights advocates challenged the law's legality in a federal lawsuit filed yesterday.

"Discrimination is wrong, and we believe it has no place in North Carolina."

Today's letter follows a similar situation in Georgia. A controversial bill in that state would have allowed businesses to deny services to LGBT people as a means of preserving religious freedom. A group of tech and entertainment companies, including Netflix and Time Warner, spoke out against the bill following its introduction. The dissenting voices ultimately led Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to veto the bill yesterday.

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