President Barack Obama finally addressed the bathroom laws passed by states like North Carolina and Mississippi to ban people from entering bathrooms designated for the opposite sex, calling them “wrong” and recommending that they be overturned.
Obama made his remarks during a press conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron, when he was asked about the UK advisory to travelers warning them about the new laws passed in those states.
“I also think that the laws that have been passed there are wrong and should be overturned, and they’re in response to politics,” he said.
Although the state laws were passed by “good people,” he said he disagreed with their arguments.
“Although I respect their different viewpoints, I think it’s very important for us not to send signals that anybody is treated differently,” he said.
He described the new state laws as examples of local governments passing laws that are not “reflective” of the national views on the issue of which bathroom a transgender person could lawfully use.
The president also defended the hospitality of both states, adding that British tourists would be “treated well” if they visited.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also weighed in on the new laws, pointing out that they were “comfortable” addressing the issue.
“We believe they should be trying to use the law to end discrimination rather than to embed it all or enhance it,” he said.
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