April 10, 2016 | Celeb Watch

Springsteen cancels North Carolina show because of anti-LGBT law

As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace.

 

No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden.

 

To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters.

“Should we go there and make a statement from the stage? You consider those things, and then you realise that’s just playing into their hands. That’s not going to hurt enough – you need to hurt them economically,” Steven Van Zandt said. “This sort of thing is spreading like an evil virus around the country… We felt we better stop this, we should try and stop this early, and hopefully other people will rise up and join us.”

 

Several celebrities took to Twitter to express their support.