Bruce Springsteen said Friday that he canceled a concert in Greensboro, North Carolina, to protest the state’s enactment of a law seen as discriminatory against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The Boss was scheduled to perform in Greensboro on Sunday.
The Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which took effect March 23, “dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use,” Springsteen said in a statement posted Friday on his Web site.
“Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their rights are violated in the workplace,” the veteran rocker said.
“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,” Springsteen said.
“Right now, there are many groups, businesses and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters,” he said.
“As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th,” the artist said.
Besides spurring lawsuits, the law has prompted state and municipal governments around the country to bar official travel to North Carolina.
“Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry – which is happening as I write – is one of them,” Springsteen said.
