North Carolina Transgender Toilet Law: Bands And Artists Who Will And Won’t Cancel Their NC Concerts

North Carolina has had the eyes of the nation on it since this time last year, and the heat over the transgender bathroom and locker room laws hasn’t let up since. North Carolina’s music scene has been the focus of the backlash against a law that many LGBT members say is discrimination against transgender men and woman, whether prior to, in the middle of, or post-operation. North Carolina’s transgender law, or Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act House Bill 2, birthed from the push and implementation of laws that allowed the public to choose which bathroom they pleased by the gender they felt they were.

Bruce Springsteen got the ball rolling and was the first to cancel his NC concert, and according to the Southern News, this was what he had to say about North Carolina’s transgender law.

“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 10.”

NC concert cancellations started snowballing from Springsteen’s announcement, as many known bands and musical artists like Pearl Jam, Boston, Ringo Starr, and most recently, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato jumped on board. North Carolina’s transgender law continues to inspire protests and concert cancellations, but not every band or musical artist is cancelling.

The Inquisitr reported that, for bands like Mumford and Sons, though they “hate” North Carolina’s transgender law, their NC concert is not cancelled. In fact, they plan to put the concert they didn’t cancel in North Carolina to use against the transgender bathroom and locker room law.

“Over the years we’ve looked for ways to contribute to the vitality of local communities and, in that spirit, we’re now creating a charitable fund to support those who have made it their mission to pursue love and justice. We will be donating all of our profits from this show to this new fund. And we will start by making a donation from it to a local LGBTQ organization.”

North Carolina’s transgender law seems to inspire the same opinions from many musical artists, but Mumford and Sons are not alone in their desire to keep their NC concert goers happy. North Carolina concerts for Gregg Allman, Cyndi Lauper, and Dolly Parton are on the list of artists that will still hold their NC concerts, even though two of three have publicly stated that they do not agree with the transgender bathroom and locker room law.

At least two of the musical acts still holding NC concerts are two of the least likely to be heading to North Carolina. An LGBT member would certainly be the last person you would expect to hold a concert in North Carolina right now, but musician Brandi Carlile does not see the NC concert cancellations led by Bruce Springsteen as something beneficial to her fans, according to The Boot.

“I’m a small artist, and I’m gay, many of my fans are gay as well. To cancel my shows in N.C. would further oppress my fans who are hurt by this legislation, who worked hard to suppress it and who need a place where they can come together.”

Carlile isn’t the only LGBT member still willing to hold her NC concert. According to the NY Daily News, the very last person you would ever expect is still holding their upcoming concert in North Carolina. Against Me lead singer Laura Jane Grace is holding her concert in protest as well, instead of abandoning the band’s North Carolina fans.

“I’m going to create an event around the show as a form of protest to say that despite whatever stupid laws they enact…”

North Carolina’s transgender bathroom and locker room law has split the public down the middle, and many hate NC for their legislative decision, but it would appear that a decision to cancel a concert is not the best way to handle the issue.

Who do you think made the wiser decision with the greater impact?

Leave your thoughts and opinions below.

[Image under CC BY-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons| Courtesy Of Jolanda Bakker| Resized,Cropped]