Sorry, North Carolina — no Bruce Springsteen for you this weekend. And you can thank your lawmakers for it.
Springsteen has canceled his Greensboro, North Carolina show scheduled for Sunday, after the state passed HB2, officially known as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act.
The law “dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use,” Springsteen said in a statement released on his official website Friday. “Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their 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,” Springsteen added. “Right now, there are many groups, businesses and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments.”
The “Born to Run” rocker continued, “I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. 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.”
Tickets for the show will be refunded at the point of purchase.
Earlier this week, Hulu pulled production of its pilot “Crushed” from North Carolina, in the wake of the legislation.