New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued an executive order banning all non-essential state travel to North Carolina.
The full executive order is on the
governor's website. He also released a statement about the ban,
reported by WGRZ.com.
In the statement, Cuomo said, "In New York, we believe that all people — regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation — deserve the same rights and protections under the eyes of the law."
He said New York "has been a beacon of hope and equality for the LGBT community, and we will not stand idly by as misguided legislation replicates the discrimination of the past."
The governor said his state travel ban to North Carolina will last "as long as there is a law in North Carolina that creates the grounds for discrimination against LGBT people."
The ban comes after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory announced a law that prevents transgender individuals from using the bathroom appropriate for their gender identity. The law instead requires them to use the bathroom based on their identity on their birth certificate.
The executive order states that "protecting New York State from inadvertently financing discrimination against protected classes, including sexual orientation and gender identity, is a compelling state sanctioned government interest."
The rejection of the law is not limited to other states. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper told the
Charlotte Observer that the law is "a national embarrassment."
A report in
Slate details businesses that have publicly objected to the law, including IBM, Wells Fargo, Apple, Microsoft, and the NBA.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a bill that would have enacted a similar law to North Carolina's, reported the
Atlanta Journal Constitution.