Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., accused Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Wednesday of being anti-LBGT, marking the first direct attack of one vice presidential candidate on another in the 2016 election.

Kaine, who was tapped last month as Hillary Clinton's running mate, took his shots at Donald Trump's No. 2 during a campaign stop in North Carolina.

Lawmakers in the Tar Heel State passed a law in March barring persons from using public restrooms based on the gender with which they identify. Opponents of the bill allege the measure is discriminatory, and they say it's a direct attack on members of the transgender community.

"Now, I know in North Carolina, there's been some pain over this issue. They snuck through in the legislature … and they tried to introduce it kind of in the dead of night," Kaine said Wednesday

The Virginia senator continued, and said the fight for LGBT rights is the next big moment in America's ongoing struggle to form "a more perfect union."

Kaine then launched into an attack on Pence, and claimed the Indiana governor is guilty of supporting anti-LGBT laws.

"The vice presidential nominee on the other side, Mike Pence, did something like the North Carolina bill!" the senator said.

Kaine's remarks were made in reference to Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which Pence supported in its original form before caving to pressure from pro-LGBT activists and the business community and adding several layers of clarifying amendments.

The original Indiana bill closely resembled the 1993 federal law of the same name, which prohibits the federal government from substantially burdening a person's free exercise of their religion — except in instances where the government can prove it has a "compelling interest" and can impose the burden in the least-restrictive way possible.

The Hoosier State law took it a step further: Along with offering a defense for individuals, the bill also offered protections for companies and corporations.

But the passage of legislation claiming to protect the religious liberties of citizens from encroachment by state or federal government provoked a loud and fierce outcry from activists who said the bill was inherently "anti-gay."

More specifically: The inclusion of companies and corporations in the Indiana law was seen by pro-LGBT activists as opening the door to widespread discrimination.

After more than a week of criticism and attacks on Indiana, Pence eventually signed an amended version of the state's RFRA, which now states that businesses can't use the law as a legal defense for refusing services or accommodations.

The clarified version of the bill also makes it clear that discrimination based on "race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or United States military service" is strictly prohibited.

Even with these changes, though, Pence still has a lot to answer for, Kaine said Wednesday.

It was clear immediately that the original version of Indiana's RFRA "discriminated against LGBT people," the senator said. "Immediately, companies started to pull out [of Indiana]."

Pence "had to kind of do a U-turn," he added. "But this is somebody who has said LGBT people would bring about a 'societal collapse' that's just not right folks. Just not right. Just not right."

The second part of Kaine's remarks is in reference to when Pence said in 2006 that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman.

"[S]ocietal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family," the then-congressman said, citing Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin.

Pence is scheduled to appear later this week at a rally in Raleigh.