House Bill 2 opposition beer planned by NC craft breweries

More than 30 craft breweries from across North Carolina are teaming up for a special beer that will raise money to fight House Bill 2.

The controversial law, which rolls back local nondiscrimination ordinances for gay, lesbian and transgender people, has already prompted backlash from major companies, filmmakers and musicians.

Now the state’s craft beer community is weighing in.

The breweries plan to release a collaboration beer called “Don’t Be Mean to People, A Golden Rule Saison” in May. All profits from the beer will be donated to two LGBT nonprofits, Equality North Carolina and the QORDS summer camp for LGBT youth.

“We didn’t feel like HB2 represented us as businesses or as residents of North Carolina,” Erik Lars Myers of Hillsborough’s Mystery Brewing Company said in a news release Monday. “We wanted to do something in response and making beer is what we do.”

The beer will be brewed on April 16 at Ponysaurus Brewing Company in Durham using support, labor and ingredients provided by more than 30 breweries.

“We’ve gathered support from dozens of our fellow brewers, and we have the ability to make a significant social impact by working together for a greater good,” Ponysaurus owner Keil Jansen said.

The anti-House Bill 2 beer project is also soliciting donations at bit.ly/ncgoldenrule.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 2:41 PM with the headline "House Bill 2 opposition beer planned by NC craft breweries."