As legislators travelled to Raleigh for the beginning of the legislative session on Monday, groups gathered both opposing and supporting House Bill 2. Many local governments, including all entities in Orange County, have passed resolutions calling for the repeal of the law that bars transgender individuals from using the bathroom of their gender identity and nullifies local nondiscrimination ordinances, among other things.

Speaking at the WCHL Community Forum on Tuesday, Earl McKee – chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners – said HB2 flies in the face of Orange County values.

“Orange County has been in the forefront of inclusiveness and the forefront of ensuring that everyone is treated equally and treated fairly,” McKee said. “And HB2 just tramples all over that whole ideal.”

Mayor Pam Hemminger said that the desire for everyone to feel welcome in Chapel Hill is one of the things that she loves most about the community.

“We care,” Hemminger said. “We want everyone to be treated equitably. We cannot believe the state passed this horrific bill. It makes no sense to us because we care, because we want to be inclusive.”

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt reiterated her opposition to the bill while adding the university is still working to understand what it will ultimately have to do to comply with the law.

“The faculty, actually several weeks ago, passed a resolution similar to the ones you’ve seen from the town, and I’ve also said myself that I didn’t agree with it,” Folt said. “But we have to comply with the law.”

Folt said that part of that compliance with the law would include working to ensure that everyone would be accommodated at UNC by auditing the facilities on campus and possibly adding new facilities as needed over the summer.

Folt added that the bill has a “chilling effect” on the economic impact the university can have on the state through company spin-offs and attracting the best and brightest faculty and students.

Adding on to the “chilling” impact the bill has had, Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens said he was part of a recruiting pitch about two weeks before HB2 was passed where a conference was considering coming to Orange County. Stevens said, even before HB2, the conference wanted to be sure that the area would be welcoming to all in the conference.

“I don’t think we would have had that conversation if HB2 had happened two weeks earlier,” Stevens said because the conference would not have considered Orange County. “But we got the conference; they’re still with us. This is what we’re in about opposing this law and yet working within it to make sure that everyone feels welcome here.”

McKee said one of his fears regarding HB2 was the lost economic impact and tourism to the area that will simply no longer consider North Carolina as a destination.

“It’s a quiet loss,” McKee said, “but it’s a real loss.”

Carrboro has been leading the fight against HB2. The town was the first municipality to pass a resolution opposing the law. Mayor Lydia Lavelle said the discussion at the forum affirmed the inclusive nature of Orange County.

“It’s a great community when you’re the only gay person at the table and you haven’t had to talk about how we’re inclusive of everyone.”