170 NC entrepreneurs sign petition opposing House Bill 2

About 170 entrepreneurs – representing small firms that employ a total of 2,461 people – have signed a petition calling for the repeal of House Bill 2.

The petition, started by several companies based in the Triangle, focuses on the economic impacts of the new LGBT law. It says that “out-of-state investors are delaying and even canceling investments in North Carolina companies.”

“North Carolina continues to be on the top lists of best locations for start-ups to grow, but now with the passage of this bill, the opportunity for investment, talent recruitment and general business growth is put at risk,” the petition continues.

The petition includes the owners of a variety of start-up businesses, including HQ Raleigh, Brooks Bell, WedPics, Drum for Change, Turtle Island Pottery and Smashing Boxes.

“By sharing that business is being purged from North Carolina on a large and small scale, we prove that discrimination has vast economic impacts on the business growth Pat McCrory supposedly champions,” said Joshua Smith of Argyle Social in Durham.

The group is also encouraging entrepreneurs and start-up firms to post public statements on the website startups-against-hb2.com.

The Keep N.C. Safe Coalition, which supports House Bill 2, says it has gathered signatures from 393 business leaders, but it has only released the names of 68 – most of them small firms.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:20 PM with the headline "170 NC entrepreneurs sign petition opposing House Bill 2."