Springsteen cancels show because of North Carolina law
INVISION VIA AP
In this March 15 file photo, Bruce Springsteen, center, performs with Nils Lofgren, left, and Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band during their concert in Los Angeles.
GREENSBORO, N.C. » Bruce Springsteen has canceled his concert in North Carolina, citing the state’s new law blocking anti-discrimination rules covering the LGBT community.
In a statement on his website today, Springsteen said he was canceling the concert scheduled for Sunday in Greensboro because of the law, which critics say discriminates against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Springsteen says the law “is 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.”
Because of that, he said he and the E Street Band must “show solidarity with those freedom fighters.”
Later, Springsteen used his Facebook page to urge followers to contact lawmakers, adding a link to find them.
People who bought tickets will get refunds.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
26 responses to “Springsteen cancels show because of North Carolina law”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
HAPPY TO READ : “The Boss” is still THE BOSS! KUDO’s!
Thanks, Bruce, for standing up to the imbeciles who want to go back in time to 1950.
You never fail me, Bruce. Rock on!
Pity Bruce disappointed many fans who had done nothing against an LBGT person or harbored ill will against the LBGT community. He could have gone on with the show and used the venue to express solidarity with LBGT concerns. It was a missed opportunity for the artist who gave us “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “The River” and “Nebraska” to make a constructive point, and offers only a weak reply to the cynical view that he simply didn’t need the money anyway.
Not really. See comments above yours.
Okay, I see a whopping three unqualified approvals for Springsteen’s decision. Thank you.
I for one am delighted to see the immediacy of these economic sanctions kicking in. The NC State Constitution offers no protection to LGBT persons — in fact, in 2012 it was amended to prohibit same-sex marriages and is thus in contravention of Obergefell v. Hodges. So we can expect no recourse in NC’s courts.
HB2 will, of course, be overturned by the inevitable Federal court challenge, but it will take time to wend its way up to the Supremes who will undoubtedly be the ones who drive the stake into its heart.
But these ad hoc sanctions, such as Paypal’s and Springsteen’s, will produce quick results. Businessmen, merchants and banksrs of NC will soon be whispering sweet nothings in McCrory’s shell-like ear.
Genius, it’s called media exposure. Your idea would have got 26 likes on Facebook. Springsteen’s idea got him worldwide headline news exposure. See the difference?
Genius(?), then it’s obvious you have an extremely low regard for Springsteen’s influence among his fans.
This same type of response helped put an end to apartheid in South Africa (remember the pledge to not play Sun City?). That eventually led to all of Bruce’s fans to have equal rights there. I compliment Bruce for again standing by his principles.
Comparing men trying to get into your daughters restroom to the Civil Rights movement show just how deluded this movement really is.
You’re on a roll.
Feel for those who live in this State and especially those that have bought tickets for the show!
cojef, as stated at the end of the story, refunds will be given to those who want them. I’m just disappointed Springsteen’s decision is ultimately a divisive one, that it needlessly distances himself from fans who may never have done any LGBT person harm. It’s not the inclusive gesture that going on with his show might’ve been. Now that I’ve thought more about it, Springsteen could also have announced well before the show that all profits would go to supporting the needs of the LGBT community. Instead of a win-win solution he instead chose the way of “my way or the highway.”
Couple of points:
1. These ossified old relics aren’t weren’t worth the travel time to a concert anyway.
2. The flock of ninnies posting on this subject clearly haven’t even looked into the pros/cons of the NC law. Why, a rational person would ask, would a state take such an action? In fact, that same rational person would first ask what the NC law was aimed at. It appears the law is aimed at maintaining the segregation of bathroom privacy by sexual body parts. If I had a young son/daughter, it seems reasonable to want that. Otherwise, if choice of gender is discretionary, as the nutcases posting here probably think it is, the ability to assure some measure of public sexual privacy is gone. Where the NC action probably goes wrong is in making sexual orientation the birth certificate the dividing line. The fair dividing line should probably be those who surgically transform themselves from one sex to another.
Now, let the vitriol flow. It’s fully expected because that’s the nature of your movement, full of bile, devoid of thought.
OMG!Celebrities baffles my mind!! Is this another attempt to insert “Shoe In Mouth”?? Doing this kind of stuff not only hurts his tickets sales ,but also the fans too!!(If The Boss has any left lol).Like the Rolling Stones ,these guys are out to pasture!!IMHO…You need to be from the East coast to like The Boss’s music!!
Jumping aboard the “Political Correctness ” Bus is not a good idea!!The Boss needs to understand,that by openly supporting certain individual groups:ie( LGBT) you will most likely offend the other group (Heterolsexual)…..
What do you gain by being Political Correct”!!It doesn’t help! Just ask Quentin Tarrantino,George”Looney” Clooney, Sean Penn,Tina Fey and the list goes on.I would suggest that they just “Shut and Act!!OR ? In this case Just do your thing and…..Sing!!
This has less to do with “political correctness” than it does for objecting to discrimination. Although I’ve never been much of a Boss fan, I have to say my respect for him with this recent move has soared. Ticket holders will get their refunds. Whether Boss needs the money, or not, is not the point. He grabbed an opportunity to speak out loud and clear about his objections. Saying something at a concert about this issue instead? Lame. Cancelling his concert and taking a stand? Powerful. It got in our Hawaii newspaper, didn’t it? Would it have if he’d only mention something during his concert? I doubt it.
You may or may not have the right of it. I suppose it’s for history to decide whether it’s better to push people to agree with your point of view or lead people to it.
Discrimination: Why, in this case, isn’t discrimination warranted if the discriminatory act prevents my 6 year old daughter from having to be exposed (unfortunate word, but accurate) to male genitalia in a public restroom or, for that matter, prevent my wife or women friends from having to contend with the discomfort of sharing the facility with a physical male who decided to be a woman last Tuesday.
Your blanket support of anti-discrimination just doesn’t seem to be supported by thinking. Some “discrimination” is right, moral, and good.
Wow what a statement. I wonder how North Carolina is going to be able to exist without a Bruce Springsteen concert. The Boss can kiss my oss.
This is another case of a few loud mouths trying to speak for the majority. I think there should be a simple test. Stand in front of the mirror and drop your shorts. That should tell you which restroom you should use. We wouldn’t have had this discussion seven years ago. Make America Great Again!!!
Let the people vote! Use democracy to curb this insanity.
Forget N. Carolina, Bruce; give a concert here in Hawaii, instead.
Hawaii can and will live without a Concert from Bruce, his clout is not such that the world will come to a stop without him. North Carolina will continue long after the Bruce is gone.
The LGBT wants to have sex with all of you! Bruce thinks he is innocent for defending next generations of wicked sexual intent for sexual immorality. Bruce is not God. Don’t listen to him.
Bruce may not be God (whose name happens to be Clapton) but he is the Boss ain’t he?