Connecticut governor tells NC businesses to move north to escape LGBT law

The governor of Connecticut has invited North Carolina businesses concerned about the impact of a new LGBT law to head north to his “welcoming and inclusive” state.

“Wittingly or unwittingly, the HB2 bill sends a message to the world: North Carolina is close-minded when it comes to human rights and does not celebrate the LGBT community,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in the letter dated March 29.

Connecticut, Malloy points out, has had an anti-discrimination law since 2011 that includes protections for gender identity or expression. Gay marriage has been legal in the state since 2010.

Malloy’s press office would not disclose which companies were targeted by the governor’s office. But the letter mentions Connecticut’s bioscience industry in which 50,000 people are employed across the state by 800 companies. The governor also stated that Connecticut has a concentration of high tech workers that is higher than the national average.

“HB2 has obviously caused, and continues to cause, a national backlash that may be unconducive to the success of your company,” Malloy stated in the letter. “As such, I hope you will consider relocating to the state Connecticut.”

Several governors and mayors across the country have spoken out against North Carolina’s law, and some have banned state-funded travel to the state.

The governors of Washington and Vermont are the latest to ban travel.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 7:41 PM with the headline "Connecticut governor tells NC businesses to move north to escape LGBT law."