Cities have a way to fight back. They might not be able to pass laws, but my goodness, can they call for stringent and repeated inspections of non-compliant businesses.
I still remember how horrifically nervous I was when I first started using the women's restroom. I wouldn't come out of the stall if someone else as in the bathroom because I was terrified they'd
North Carolina is going to lose millions in tourism revenue. The LGBT+ community is hardly a monolith, but these kinds of bills have shown to have a chilling effect on tourism in other states/municipalities.