President Barack Obama said that state laws in Mississippi and North Carolina that have been criticized for discriminating against LGBT people are "wrong," according to a report in
The Hill.
Obama condemned the laws, saying they "should be overturned" and encouraged people to visit North Carolina and Mississippi.
"I want everybody here in the United Kingdom to know that the people of North Carolina and Mississippi are wonderful people. They are hospitable people," the president said.
He added, "You are welcome and you should come enjoy yourselves," according to
Mic.com.
At a press conference in London, President Obama said the laws "were in response to politics in part, in part some strong emotions that are generated by people, some of whom are good people, but I just disagree with them."
The United Kingdom's Foreign Office had issued a warning for LGBT travelers that they "may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi."
The North Carolina law forbids local areas from passing nondiscrimination laws and would require people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender when they were born. The Mississippi law allows people and businesses to refuse service to LGBT customers.
"We believe we ought to use law to try to end discrimination, rather than try to embed it or enhance it," UK Prime Minister David Cameron said.
Donald Trump also said he was not in favor of the bathroom law, according to a report in
Politico.
"Problem with that is for transgender, that would be — first of all, I think that would be discriminatory in a certain way. That would be unbelievably expensive for businesses in the country. Leave it the way it is," Trump told NBC's Matt Lauer.
An
NBC News report showed Ted Cruz criticizing Trump for that stance.
"Have we gone stark raving nuts?" Cruz asked at a campaign rally.
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