During a news conference in London Friday, President Obama criticized the North Carolina law that requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that correspond to their gender designation at birth.
Obama said he thinks the North Carolina law and similar measures in other states, including Mississippi, "are wrong and should be overturned."
The U.K. released a travel advisory earlier this week that warned British citizens about traveling to certain U.S. states, saying, "LGBT travellers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi."
Appearing with Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama reassured Brits that the people living in North Carolina and Mississippi are "wonderful people" and said British travelers would be treated with "extraordinary hospitality."
The president explained that he believed the laws were in response to "politics, in part" as well as to "some strong emotions that are generated by people."
Most of the press conference, however, centered on the upcoming referendum regarding Britain's potential exit from the European Union. Obama defended his decision to weigh in on the vote after he was criticized for writing an op-ed in The Telegraph advocating that the country remain in the EU.
Obama also talked about the singer Prince, who died yesterday, setting off a worldwide outpouring of emotion. The president said he listened to "Purple Rain" this morning, as NPR Politics wrote earlier today.
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