Supporters of HB2 hold vigil outside governor's mansion

A group of people gathered outside the governor’s mansion Thursday evening, asking state leaders to hold their ground as backlash against House Bill 2 continues.

“We have a strong governor that is willing to take a stand for the safety and privacy of our families,” said Tami Fitzgerald of the North Carolina Values Coalition.

The group supports recently passed HB2, requiring transgender people to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate.

“Anytime you open the door a little wider, that a sexual predator can take advantage of—and you put women and children in harm’s way—I think we should all stand up against that and say, ‘No, we aren’t going to do that,’” said organizer Steve Noble.

Participants Thursday evening gathered to pray and included the LGBT community, who may not agree with them, in their prayers.

“In my mind, they are not the issue or the problem,” Noble said.

Opponents of HB2 say it’s not only discriminatory to the transgender community, but they say it also hurts workers and the authority of local governments.

“The businesses around this country that are bullying the state of North Carolina, I think at some point in time they are going to have to answer to their customers and shareholders,” Fitzgerald said.

Event planners told WRAL News that more events are planned for next week.