Supporters of the LGBT community protested the exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from the anti-discrimination protection bill recently issued in North Carolina. Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill on Wednesday.

The bill which will take effect on Friday, creating a mandatory statewide anti-discrimination policy. Republican legislators drafted the law in an emergency session to overrule a new municipal ordinance in Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina. The city ordinance was designated to provide protections for transgender, including the permission to use bathrooms according to the gender they identify with.

McCrory, a former mayor of Charlote, had promised to override the ordinance which was passed last month. The left-leaning ordinance in Charlotte expanded protections for individuals on the basis of marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. That include allowing transgender people to use their preferred restroom.

In a statment from an email  quoted by Washington Post, governor McCrory said, "The only issue I think the state needs to be involved in is the issue regarding locker rooms and restrooms, that's the one that draws concern that has ramifications beyond city limits."

There are about 12,000 people signing the online petition supporting governor McCrory. The people showed concern regarding the risk of putting women and children at the Charlotte bathroom when the ordinance was passed.

On March 21, the Republican-majority legislatures invoked a constitutional provision to call themselves into special one-day session two days later. In the session announcement, Lt. Governor Dan Forest and House Speaker Tim Moore said in a joint statement, "We aim to repeal this ordinance before it goes into effect to provide for the privacy and protection of the women and children of our state."

Opponents of the new bill met with the governor Pat McCrory on Thursday and demanded the law to be repealed. According to Wall Streel Journal, a local transgender woman who met the governor said in a news release from advocacy group Equality NC, "The people of North Carolina are looking for the governor to show the leadership needed to repeal this appalling law."

The executive director of Equality NC is one of the LGBT activists that met with governor on Thursday meeting. The opponent requested the governor to revoke the law and delivered the letter signed by 100 officials from major corporations who oppose the same law. Signatories include the head of Starbucks and Hilton.

Many opponents to the state's law also come from business leaders. CNBC reported that Apple's Tim Cook and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg also stated their objection to the new law.

McCrory said the state's law was issued to ensure privacy in the public bathroom. However, LGBT activists disagreed, urging the state's law to be revoked.