Ringo Starr has canceled his concert in North Carolina in protest of the state’s anti-gay law HB2, joining fellow musicians Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Buffet in speaking out.
“I’m sorry to disappoint my fans in the area, but we need to take a stand against this hatred,” Starr said in a statement. “Spread peace and love.”
The former Beatles member was scheduled to perform on June 18 at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, North Carolina, as part of his All Starr Tour.
HB2 has sparked intense backlash from LGBT groups and big businesses, including several Hollywood studios. Known as “the bathroom law,” the legislation prohibits people from using public bathrooms that don’t match the gender they were assigned at birth, something of particular concern to transgender citizens.
Bruce Springsteen also canceled his concert in the state scheduled for last weekend, citing HB2 as the reason. Others, including Jimmy Buffet and Gregg Allman, have spoken out but not canceled their shows.
“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 in a statement posted to his website announcing the cancellation last week. “Right now, there are many groups, businesses and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments.”