U.S. President Barack Obama said the new bathroom laws in North Carolina and Mississippi send the wrong signals and should be repealed.
Speaking during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Friday, Obama said "the laws that have been passed there are wrong and should be overturned," The Hill reports.
"And they're in response to politics, in part; in part, some strong emotions that are generated by people—some of whom are good people but I just disagree with when it comes to respecting the equal rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, whether they're transgender or gay or lesbian," he said.
North Carolina's HB 2 restricts the use of bathrooms according to a person's biological sex and bars local governments from enacting non-discrimination laws.
Mississippi's HB 1523 lays down different policies including preventing people from being forced to take part in same-sex marriage ceremonies and letting businesses decide on rules on the use of restrooms, showers, dressing rooms and locker rooms based on their religious beliefs.
It protects religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman, sexual relations are reserved to such marriage and male or female refers to a person's biological sex.
Despite these, Obama said, "I want everybody here in the United Kingdom to know that the people of North Carolina and Mississippi are wonderful people."
"They are hospitable people. They are beautiful states, and you are welcome and you should come and enjoy yourselves. And I think you'll be treated with extraordinary hospitality," he added.
In response to the bathroom laws, the United Kingdom issued a travel advisory to people going to North Carolina and Mississippi.
"The U..S is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country. LGBT travellers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi," the advisory stated.
In his reply to Obama, Cameron, who had the chance to visit North Carolina, said, "The guidance that we put out, the Foreign Office, gives advice on travel, and it obviously deals with laws in situations as they are, and it tries to give that advice dispassionately, impartially."
He said his government's view is that laws should be passed "to end discrimination rather than to embed it or enhance it."
"But obviously, the laws people pass is a matter of their own legislatures. But we make clear our own views about the importance of trying to end discrimination, and we've made some important steps forward in our own country on that front, which we're proud of," he said.
