While Bruce Springsteen has always been a political artist, I’ve never really thought of him as a warrior for LGBTQ rights. He is, as always, an advocate for the working class, for the underdog, for the oppressed, but I always thought it was more of a general socioeconomic political leaning, not specific to the LGBT demographic. But as it turns out, he’s been an LGBTQ ally for years, even publicly supporting gay marriage before the SCOTUS decision. And now Bruce is putting his money where his mouth is: following the passage of the worst anti-LGBTQ law in modern American history, Bruce has decided to boycott the state of North Carolina.
First, some background: North Carolina and Georgia were pursuing “Religious Freedom” laws which were basically laws giving terrible, hateful people the legal right to discriminate against LGTBQ people. Georgia’s governor ended up vetoing the bill after corporations (like Marvel, Disney, etc) threatened to pull their business from the state. Currently, corporations are making similar threats to the state of North Carolina. Apple, Microsoft, Dow Chemical, the NBA and more have all made noise about pulling their business. But Bruce Springsteen has become the first major artist to officially boycott the state. He was supposed to perform in Greensboro tonight but he announced on Facebook that he’s pulling out of the gig.
As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human 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. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, 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. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Sunday April 10th show is canceled. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.
This almost brought a tear to my eye. This is what an Ally looks like. Good for him! Incidentally, the North Carolina law is even worse than people realized – it includes widespread changes to worker protections from discrimination. As in, if you get fired from your North Carolina job because you’re gay/Muslim/female, it’s now a lot harder for you to sue your former employer for discrimination.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Good. Sniff sniff.
Plus – the NBA pulled the 2017 All Star game from Charlotte – apparently with the blessing of the Hornets ownership. Backlash is epic.
I live in Charlotte.
The game hasn’t been pulled yet. Though there apparently was a hoax going around that they did.
what the hell is going on down there. America are you guys ok? I swear it feels like we are going back in time and that is terrifying.
There will always be a segment of the population that wants to drag us backwards. I think they are now the minority though.
Unfortunately, they have used gerrymandering to carve out huge swaths of territory so that they have voting power. Fortunately, last week, the Supremes limited that power but we will have to wait until after the next census in 2020 to change things.
It’s primarily, though not limited to southern states where Bible thumping and intolerance are widespread. The Northeast and West Coast are more liberal and accepting.
Omg. Please stop.
Honestly I don’t know. It’s a little bit scary here right now, what with this and the bass akwards changes in women’s health care. But then again, it’s very frightening to lose power and this freaked out flailing is what you get.
As for the bathroom issue, a very old and very conservative friend (I’m amazed she knows how to use facebook to post “Obama is evil” memes) said, why don’t we all mind our own damn business. Just go in and do your thing and leave, anyone who actively causes problems will be dealt with, otherwise stick to your own shit. Made me laugh, because yeah, seriously people, calm down.
Yea things are getting ridiculous here. Between this, women’s rights be trampled on and racists coming out of the woodwork it’s scary to live in certain areas. Good on them for canceling. Joel McHald did not cancel but donated his entire check to a local LGBTQIA group, spoke about the bill at his show wore a shirt supporting LGBTQIA. I believe PayPal cancelled their expansion plans for NC as well. So people are stepping up.
I can hardly believe this going back in time to this horrible law that is now in place. To treat a segment of tax paying citizens like this seems almost unbelievable to me. Yes, there has been some backlash but not nearly enough. Somehow, these repressed, disgusting politicians who pass these laws need to be punished a lot more. Surely there is a way.
I thought the term was LGBTI now. Don’t forget the intersexed people.
Technically, LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, asexual). Some also use LGBTQ2IA+ to include questioning along with queer, and the plus sign to encompass other sexualities/identities not already stated.
Hi, can you tell me what intersexed means? I haven’t heard that term before. Thank you.
Intersex is an umbrella term that refers to any condition wherein a person’s reproductive organs are considered atypical.
Really, just as gender occurs on a spectrum, so does biological sex–there are numerous ways to be considered intersex, and there’s no medical consensus as to where “male” or “female” end and “intersex” begins.
Common examples of intersex individuals include people who are born with “ambiguous” genitalia or a combination of both male and female reproductive organs.
Question. What is the differentiation between gay and lesbian? My assumption is that gay somehow is designated for males and females wanted or needed their own identifiers but I could be wrong. If you don’t mind could you explain it to me?
@snarkweek Could you explain to me why some people identify as trolls? Is it something they’re born with or is it developed over time, like, through bad upbringing? I’ve heard both versions and I’m really confused. Also where does this sad urge to pick fights on the internet come from when there are so much better things to do in life? Is it a sickness?
Thumbs up for The Boss!
Ichsi,
I am so confused by your statement i don’t know where to begin. Are you referring to me as a troll? I am a regular poster here with a user name i have had for three years so how can I be a troll?
As for my question it was an honest attempt to understand something i am not well versed in. I have a friend from college who is a lesbian and she only refers to herself as gay. I also have a friend from Atlanta who refers to himself as gay so i just wanted some clarification from the op who seems far more knowledgeable than i am. I have no problem admitting when I don’t know or understand something. I would rather look foolish and learn than pretend to know everything and risk offending someone or remaining in the dark.
If i have offended you i am sorry for that but i do not understand the basis for your obvious frustration with me. I’m open to discuss it and/or listen.
@snarkweek Your question wasn’t at all offensive if you are trying to really find out the difference and it looks like you are. I believe Gay refers to a man being attracted exclusively to men or its someone who is attracted to the same gender. Lesbian means a woman who is exclusively attracted to women. I struggle with some terms as well as I don’t want to offend anyone. I was confused by the difference between queer and gay for a while too:)
@snarkweek. So sorry the one poster was nasty. My brother is gay and I get confused and have to ask him for clarification. I guess I am trying to say don’t feel bad for being confused. 😊
Cheers, raptor. But I thought that LGBTI had surpassed LGBT has the more commonly used acronym.
Thank you guys so much. I was really beginning to wonder if I was the odd man out for not knowing or understanding. I think it is much better to ask then to assume. All of your explanation makes sense. So now I feel totally comfortable asking about the difference between gay and queer? I knew I could just Google it but it is so much better to ask people who know then to simply trust the Internet. Knowledge is power!
@snarkweek
I’ve checked what you said and I’m sorry. I’ve reacted this way because I’ve seen questions like these asked by people who tried to cause a ruckus and eventually led the following discussions in circles. I thought you were one of them, sorry.
Carol explained it very well.
Queer is also an umbrella term that technically can be used by anyone who doesn’t identify as straight and/or cisgender – aka is not part of ‘the norm’ – but is mostly associated with people who don’t adhere to traditional gender roles. It also has a rebellious flavour to it because it used to be a slur.
Ichsi,
So glad you came back and extra happy I haven’t offended you. You certainly have the right to be on the lookout for trolls – my late grandfather would call people like that sh*tkickers lol. But yes, everyone has been helpful and I feel more confident going forward.
My nieces are 11 and 14 and they have classmates who discuss and struggle with these questions. I’m glad to say I’m a bit wiser!
“LGBTQIA”
As a confirmed bachelor (someone who’s single and likely to remain so) I’ve actually started identifying as asexual. So I’m happy to across the acronym LGBTQIA. Now I can weigh into discussions by opening with “As a member of the LGBTQIA community…..”
🙂
He is The Boss!!!!
Well, Boss, you’re starting to look your age, but I still adore you! And you’ve always had your heart in the right place. How many women my age danced to Thunder Road and dreamed when they were in their teens? Such a poet.
I proudly declare that I have used men’s rooms. I fail to see how this interferes with anyone’s religion and nobody has put forth an argument to me that explains how this interferes with anyone’s religion. Good for Bruce!
I was once thrown out of the men’s toilets in Wembley Stadium for using them during the intermission at a gig. By a policeman. Hmpf. I pointed to the endless queue snaking from the women’s and said, “You’d prefer it if I peed on the floor?” But he would not be moved.
My late mother was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and if ever anyone did any American bashing – “Americans are all this” “Americans are all that” – she would always say “Not Bruce Springsteen”. So it’s nice to see him keep on keeping on being a thoroughly decent bloke. Makes me remember my mum!
I once screamed “I’m on chemo!” at an officer at Fenway Park (the most sainted, holy shrine of baseball) as I dashed into a men’s room (it was closest to my seat). He let me be.
As a person, Springsteen does have some flaws, we all do, but as an American, well, he makes me proud.
That made me laugh out loud! Good on you (and him).
Yes. And nobody is perfect. It’s not as though my mother was a particular fan of his music. She identified shared values contained in his promotion of all the good things about blue collar/working class culture on both sides of the Pond.
We’re getting there…slowly. The nation’s largest grocery store chain, Krogers, offers transgender health benefits and inclusive unisex bathrooms. The sign on the Athens, Georgia restroom went viral a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kroger-atlanta-unisex-bathroom_us_56f93c1de4b0143a9b489d3d
@nutballs wow, I had not heard about that. It is certainly a step in the right direction. I wish there was a Kroger’s near me. I would start shopping there.
@Nutballs, that’s great. And cheers to that Krogers’s manager for that sign. But Athens, Georgia (LOVE it! Family there) sadly is not indicative of the rest of Georgia, which also had a “Religious Freedom Bathroom Bill” pass through its legislature.
Glad to hear this about Krogers. I remember the store in Raleigh NC had an enormous American flag flying outside … I don’t know why, I didn’t think of it as a chain that would be as socially enlightened. This is really sad that I came to identify pride in the US flag with bigotry – we need to see it again as a symbol of enlightenment and fairness.
Lilac, yes Athens is to Georgia what Boulder is to Colorado.
Nutballs, Athens may be good in that way but I’ve done dog rescue from the south to the northeast and Athens has had a horrible, high kill animal “shelter” for decades. I boycott most southern towns because of how horrible they are to animals.
I am using the men’s room as much as possible as a gesture of support. Bruce is awesome.
A very famous transman and performer Buck Angel just posted a photo of himself in full body tattoos, rippling muscles, smoking a cigar with the caption “coming soon to a restroom near you!” Seriously, how do they think they are going to enforce this shit?
I was just at a concert in Vancouver and during the breaks ladies washrooms were chaos, of course. The Men’s was on the opposite side of the hall so the ladies lined up for both. The guys were great and laughed about it. Us ladies just let the guys go in first as it is theirs and popped in once they were done.
My question is how do you enforce a law stating who can use what bathroom? Does everyone entering require a pants down check? Seriously, stupidest thing I have ever heard.
Also, the law talks about using the bathroom that matches the sex on your birth certificate. So, they arrest you on suspicion and make you show your birth certificate? Or if you’re a “mannish”-looking woman or a “feminine”-looking man, should you carry the papers on you all times just in case? SO STUPID. It’s a Trojan horse bill to sneak in all kinds of discriminatory anti-labour measures while rallying the hateful religious right voters. Those legislators have no shame.
I’ve used the men’s room many a times and no one has said anything. Women’s lines are soooo long. I started doing that when I traveled abroad the first time and the owner was like “eh go ahead” and after that I just go to men’s if women’s is crowded.
And again, nobody has ever been able to show me any religious rules about using public bathrooms.
I guess we can be grateful that the Bible was written before indoor plumbing.
This is such a shame, because now religion gets a bad rap. I’m not even religious, I’m mostly an agnostic, this is why religion needs to stay out of politics. Also like everyone has said its just a bathroom the purpose is for it to be used that’s why it was created, if everyone who argues against gender specific bathrooms were smart they’d realize that the bathrooms are basically identical except for the urinals because those were created for guys, but besides that, there’s no difference.
Even though this is a scary issues at least the lgbtq etc (not trying to be rude with the etc, part don’t know the full groups name because it has change again and I also don’t want to leave anyone out) community knows who is out to get them. I always say it’s better to know who your “murder” is then to walk around being afraid and have to assume it’s everyone.
By the way can someone please inform what their argument is in NC about only having gender specific and why it’s wrong to have otherwise. I mean some of the things that “religious” people try to argue is ridiculous.
Like how only men and women should be together because they’re the only ones who can procreate, newsflash, that’s a good thing that men and women are the only ones who can procreate. Can you imagine if everyone in the world could do that? If everyone could procreate we probably wouldn’t even be on earth anymore, since we deplete our resources like there’s 14 billion people on the planet instead of 7 (we don’t know what are carrying capacity is), this helps us cut down on our carbon footprint too. There’s also children in orphanages or foster care, that don’t have real homes because heterosexual people don’t want too or can’t take care of their children. If everyone could procreate more children should most likely be in foster care and such. heterosexual people have created that problem and what’s good but sad at the same time is homosexual end up adopting those children, but never get acknowledged for it, they’re actually doing the world a favor. But only people focus on the one negative that really isn’t a negative rather than the many positives.
Good for Bruce!! I would be ashamed to live in NC right now, although it is a beautiful state. Hard to imagine anyone sliding backward in this day and age. All in the name of religion. You know, love your neighbor and all that.
I have family in NC and they support this law because “what about the children!?” When I remind them that child molesters statistically speaking are white cis men not trans women or men, they have no idea what to say next.
Bigotry is alive and well in the south. But as a Springsteen fan, so proud he did this. He’s getting flack by the Fox News crowd, but everyone else is supporting him.
They say that like child predators only strike in public bathrooms, and would be stopped by a gender sign on a door.
as a commenter said elsewhere: elementary school children get gunned down in schools:”Meh, stuff happens”. Trans person enters a public restroom: “Think of the children!!!” hypocrisy at its finest.
@lucy2, they also say that as if child predators only strike the opposite sex, which is so not true. And again, where is there any religious practice attached to this that it falls under “religious freedom?”
The same religious freedom that allowed the Catholic Church to skirt the law and hide the actions of predatory priests.
@WhoAREthesepeople, but the Catholic Church never wrapped itself in the Constitution and claimed religious freedom allowed it to do those horrible things. A number of priests are now in prison, where they belong, and the Church is paying out hundreds of millions, as it should. No government has ever passed laws to make what the Catholic Church did legal. The bathroom discrimination laws are being passed by legislatures and signed by governors, who are claiming they do so for religious freedom, without identifying any religious whose beliefs require this.
Hi Lilac! Always learn from your informed comments. Legal training pays off.
You’re absolutely right about the difference. My point was muddled, but I’ve never been happy that any church pays lower taxes – that they get government-sanctioned tax relief. Isn’t there a current investigation as well as to how the Catholic church might have been aided in its cover-up by facets of the Pennsylvania government? Thought there was something in the paper this week.
In any case, government and church are still far too entangled in the US; it feels like the intolerance and self-righteousness many religious sects brought to the US are still in play and fighting the foresight of people like Jefferson and Madison.
Tell your family their precious children are statistically most in danger from their own relatives and they should therefore remove all the doors in their house.
@H Generally speaking, if you are getting flack from the Fox News crowd, chances are you are doing something right. 😉
I live in NC…and there are several of us NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS AT ALL. They actually called an emergency session and had it passed through the House, Senate, and signed by the Governor all within a couple of hours. Most of them never even read it before passing it. It’s a disgusting abuse of the system. It’s also amazing to me that they can’t be this “efficient” in actually passing legislation that would help people…as opposed to this blatant discrimination.
Every single person in NC needs to call their Senators, their House Representatives and their Governor to put them on notice. This should be illegal. I feel like this focus on LGBT is a smokescreen when one of the worst aspects of this is the worker discrimination asoect of it. That should be the headline and the focus. I wish the media and even sites such as Celebitchy would put the spotlight on that.
I agree with Fran Lebowitz that all this focus on sexuality is really just a way to distract the public from what’s really going on in terms of how a few people are taking all the money. The number of billionaires has grown exponentially has steadily grown. They not only have more money but power to do whatever the hell they want.
so I guess everyone in North Carolina just hates people.
Actually, the governor did this without any discussion in the dark of night, and the people of North Carolina, the ones with brains and a conscience anyway, are fighting back, hard. There have been public letters from colleges and universities and corporations stating that this unconstitutional law will not affect their policy of inclusiveness, etc.. Many other states and corporations in other states have made policies that business travel to NC is forbidden. I don’t think this hateful law will stand. Please don’t blame all of the people in NC. My neice lives their with her gay teenage son, and she is doing everything she can to fight this. She had lots of support.
NC is my home state, and has always had a big piece of my heart. When I need to relax and feel safe safe, I go there in mind. This has broken my heart. I feel conflicted and ashamed and so, so angry about it. And that safe place has been ruined for me forever. So imagine how you would feel if you were my nephew.
This is my third go-round living in NC, and I’ve actually spent more years of my life here than anywhere else. I didn’t even find out what was happening until the bill had already passed the house and the senate was in session to vote. I called my state senator and left her a vm, knowing it was too late and knowing how she would vote (I live in a more rural area just outside Charlotte, so the entirety of my representation is Republican) but wanting to register my opinion anyway. I used to be proud to live in NC but we have been going backwards for almost a decade, and the decline is accelerating. I really believe the majority of people don’t like the way our state is run but we have a massive voter apathy problem. Wish I knew how to get that group of people to vote.
My neice feels the same way. She moved back to NC because she thought it would be a nice place to bring up her children, but she is very frustrated by the politics. The thing is, the people she knows aren’t like this at all, but that very vocal group is getting louder and louder. It makes me so sad.
I had 2 rounds in NC and it’s beautiful and pleasant … as long as you fit the mold. My friends who had thought of retiring there for lower costs are probably having an awakening now … and some have gay children, so it’s personal.
The bigots who are “thinking of the children” are not thinking of the children at all, because if this law is found in violation of equal protection (which it should be), federal education funds could stop flowing to NC public schools and universities. That’s not thinking of the children. In the late 2000s, the Tea Party (Art Pope) took over the Wake County school board. Wake County has had good press nationally for desegregating without a court order, not with total success, people skirt the system, but at least it happened peacefully. So with the Tea Party pushing the system back in a certain direction, there was a risk of the high schools losing their national accreditation, which would affect every graduate applying to college. That’s also not thinking of the children.
This has nothing to do with child protection and everything to do with bigotry and hotly contested statewide elections in the fall. This bill was like firing shots at Fort Sumter in the spring of 1860. It’s a deeply divided state’s “F.U.” moment.
The legislature does NOT care what it looks like to the outside world, and we have to see if money talks, as it did in Georgia.
It’s an bellweather (sp?) state, so if you aren’t in a position to take money away, you can send money to the Democratic candidates for governor and senator. It’ll be close. The gerrymandered district lines are being withdrawn by court order now on the House level, but a new governor could make a big difference, and their current senators are an embarrassment.
My aunt by marriage is from North Carolina and went to undergraduate and grad school there. I have spent time there and liked it a lot. It seems a shame that they have been steadily traveling down the wrong road for a long time.
I could never live in NC. I’ve done dog rescue for 10 years, and NC kills more dogs and even puppies than any other state- it was 245,000 a few years ago. Also, the “shelters” at Gaston and Robeson were the cruelest, most horrible shelters I ever worked with.
Off topic, I know, but my point is that while NC has made some strides,, it has far to go before it becomes a progressive state.
This is what’s frustrating. I live in Charlotte. I have lived in North Carolina most of my life.
No. We don’t hate people. I don’t agree with this law. The whole mess started because Charlotte approved a nondiscrimstion ordinance with protections for transgendered people.
And it’s frustrating that political agendas during this election year continue to fuel this buffonary. And most of the people I know are aggravated about it — but our *great* leaders are just doubling down and pushing out lies to rally a false support.
My representation in the legislature didn’t even vote for it. My state senator walked out!
I feel more left behind. I love my state. I love people in this state. And no I don’t support discrimination, hatred or the ilk.
Please Azreen, don’t fall into the trap of generalizing. I live in NC, basically born and raised here and am horribly embarrassed by this whole thing. I was reading some of the local comments about this stupid law this weekend and, oh my god, the horrible things that were being said really upset me. I lived in Greensboro until recently when we moved down to a more rural area outside of Charlotte. Most of the people I know in Greensboro, even my father who is extremely Conservative, think this law is the biggest piece of crap ever laid down. Our Attorney General said he’s not going to support it because it is unconstitutional.
Unfortunately, the idiot mouthpieces are the ones speaking the loudest and the ugliest right now. Don’t for a moment think there aren’t reasonable, rational people living here though. I am embarrassed by this law. It’s unfair to lump us all in together.
The Boss has always been an advocate for any people suffering from injustice, not just the middle class. We were just talking about taking a little vacay to the Carolinas. Maybe not.
This is great. I hope the NBA moves the all star game as well. Maybe appeals to the pocketbook will work where appeals to common sense, decency, and humanity have not.
Yes, I hope more businesses move out of these states as well. Drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Geez. Good on Bruce and the Band.
not a fan but he will always be awesome for this.
and i know not everyone in NC is a bigot and this is another reminder why all of us ‘live and let live’ people MUST VOTE. can’t let the handful of haters ruin life for all of us!
Boycotting a state? an entire state? Did anyone boycott Florida after Treyvon? did anyone boycott New York after Bensonhurst? I could go on and on but painting everyone with the same brush stroke only causes resentment. It is far more effective if we try to have a political and financial impact on the companies and organizations that contribute to ignorance, bigotry and racism.
I think it is legitimate for peopke who are doing business in a state that is endorsing segregation and discrimination to think about the welfare of their employees. If my company y has a nondiscrimination policy, how can I in good conscience subject my LGBTQ employees to such conditions? Also, boycotts are effective– look at Georgia. People have the right to vote with their feet.
That is why I said boycotts should be financial. Boycott companies and organizations. Fine. But to lump the people, the actual people of the state together and boycott the entire state is not the way to go, Imo.
He is not boycott g people. He is withdrawing his concert and refusing to do business in the state. The LGBTQ folks I know in the area understand and support his action.
“That is why I said boycotts should be financial. Boycott companies and organizations. Fine. But to lump the people, the actual people of the state together and boycott the entire state is not the way to go, Imo.”
Companies and organizations did not do this. It is the state, which, by law, represents the people, that did this. When it hurts the state’s tax revenues, then the bigots in the legislature and the bigoted governor will wake up. Or the voters who put the moronic bigots in place will remove them.
Additionally, Springsteen’s concert was scheduled for the Greensboro Coliseum which is owned the University of North Carolina, which is state-owned and operated by the very same governor and legislature that came up with this ridiculous bathroom bit for religious reasons (again, affected religion unknown). His boycott IS targeted.
Snark, you are right! PayPal is boycotting them yet PayPal does business in Islamic countries where men mutate the genitals of young girls and stone women to death. Crazy…
This!
PayPal doesn’t have offices and employees in those countries. They do business with the citizens, just like they will continue to do business with the citizens of NC. You are not comparing apples to apples.
Agreed. I’ve lived in NC for the better part of twenty years, and I know very few people who agree with this kind of legislation. Our current governor has a 40% approval rating. Most everyone I know is appalled or aggravated by it, and a LOT of local businesses already have unisex bathrooms / have put up signs to indicate that people are welcome to use the bathroom they choose to use.
I get that folks want to make a statement, but to punish the state economically (which hurts individuals) seems ridiculous to me. Hypocritical and counterproductive. I love Bruce Springsteen, but if he really wants to make a difference, he should donate the proceeds from his concert to the political campaigns of people who can overturn the law.
If his concert hurts individuals, some of those individuals voted that governor and those legislatures into power. That’s how it goes. If they don’t like it, let them go to Raleigh and lobby for change.
We can argue about the ‘perfect’ way to influence that government or we can do anything and everything to get its attention. I’m for throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
I’m aggravated by it (as an NC resident) because it’s just a sh*t piece of legislation. Legislation is supposed to enable and help the population, not drag it backwards.
As for Paypal, let’s not pretend this is a moral stance. It’s a classic piece of virtue signalling to please the hipsters. And it worked. Paypal still trades with Middle Eastern nations that throw homosexuals off buildings.
Agreed. I don’t like this law one bit, but the net effect of Bruce cancelling the concert is just hurting the local businesses and vendors who lost money as a result. Which seems counterproductive for a man who has always claimed to support the working class. I think there are more effective ways of making a point, Jon McHale handled this much better I think.
I disagree. The good people in NC who want this law repealed are happy for the boycotts because the more pressure on this excuse for a governor, the better. They want it repealed, now. They don’t want to wait for the next election, and they are willing to sacrifice for it.
The laws should be repealed but a targeted boycott is more effective. Identifying the corporations and businesses that support the law and or the governor and asking fans and citizen to refrain from doing business with those companies is more effective in my opinion.
Gathering supporters and empowering and encouraging them to affect change is a way to increase grassroots policy without making it seem like the entire state is bigoted, backwards and ignorant. OK fine, don’t have the concert. But at least come to the state and hold a benefit rally or a public event that brings attention to what’s going on here. I guess what I’m saying is Springsteen has the power to unite people and he could have found a way to do so within the state with other North Carolinians who definitely do not like what is going on here. Canceling the concert didn’t require much thought in my opinion.
Yes, he could have done what you suggested, but I think it’s good that he did something to add to the pressure to repeal the law. And unless the law is repealed, and the people of NC rise up against it, I think it’s a fair assumption that the state is bigoted. And I say that as someone who loves it and knows otherwise. Look, one of the things that will pressure people to get this off the books is embarrassment. I think the more people there realize that they look like a bunch of morons, the sooner the law will be repealed.
@Snarkweek, Springsteen canceled a concert at the Greensboro Coliseum, which is part of the University of North Carolina. The University of North Carolina belongs to NORTH CAROLINA. Got it? Springsteen is choosing not to do business with the Coliseum, whose owners (the governor and the legislature) clearly support this odious law because they are the ones who passed and signed it.
How do you know what the good people of NC are willing or able to sacrifice? Greensboro especially has been terribly hurt by the past recession and has not made a comeback. Good people who want good laws but are in the position of experiencing food insecurity (a serious problem especially among children, we have the highest rate of that in the country) or worried about foreclosing on a home etc…do not make the best political advocates, they are just worried about feeding their children and surviving. Supporting people so they are able to make positive change sounds like a better idea to me.
I guess none of you can read because he just said he’s boycotting Greensboro not the entire state. This is so stupid, why are you arguing? At least he did something it’s not perfect, but he did something. I swear it’s like no one can do right in anyone’s eyes. And bringing up companies really isn’t the same, you should boycott the government because it’s there job to protect the people, companies don’t have that responsibility. So I like what he did and think it was smart.
Actually, Stevie Wonder did boycott Florida after the Treyvon Martin verdict and I don’t think he was the only one.
Except one has to do with individuals and the other has to do with representatives of a state that are actually actively changing laws and discriminating.
Apples to pineapples.
Furthermore this puts great pressure on th issue. You think that they haven’t thought of the money they’d lose or the public backlash? They rushed this through at midnight for a reason. They thought they knew how much damage they’d get as a result but little by little as the carnage grows larger they’re forced to examine and explain themselves more and it’s becoming evident how poorly they thought this through. Saying Bruce should have done a benefit rally seems like a joke, he’s doing exactly right. Let the Springsteen fans who were happy to go to the concert turn towards their elected officials with anger and demands.
You know I was feeling the same way. I believe this law is petty and it was passed just to cause chaos because it’s basically unenforceable and poorly written against the Supreme Court ruling, but on the other side of the coin I’m upset that people are applauding the pulling of jobs and economy from a state that sorely needs it because the Governor and thems did their own thing. Lack of jobs effects the laymen not the lawmen. I also find it unsettling that this level of outrage was not displayed by businesses or entertainers concerning Trayvon Martin, Flint, MI water crisis, Baltimore riots,etc.
Big chunks of NC are not like this at all-‘ in Chapel Hill, the streets are lined with rainbow flags to show support. I can only hope that one result is voting out the horrible people who passed this law.
I’m from NC as well, the progressive leaning NC I grew up has been systematically reversed under the McCrory administration. I’m from the triangle area and realize that it’s hard to reconcile politics when parts of the state are so different.
NC has been a divided state throughout its history — plantation-owning slavery down East, hard-scrabble family farms in the west. The state that brought us Jesse Helms and Sam Ervin – plenty of KKK activity but also the amazing public charter of UNC. The urban areas are very different from the rural areas and probably the conservative element was mighty put out by Obama taking the electoral votes in 2008. Perfect breeding ground for rich haters like Art Pope and the Koch brothers to turn their attention to – it really is a battle to see which way things are going to go.
If he really wants to do good, have the concert and donate 100% of the profits to LGBT organizations. Put his money where his mouth is; that would make a bigger impression than skipping out on his fans who were hoping to see him perform.
Think how powerful it would be; him on stage in that state with an open mike and free speech. He could have really made a difference.
+ Everything!
I just saw this after I posted below. Absolutely. I guess his fans mean nothing to him in NC. He should absolutely have done what you said. Honor your commitment at this late stage and handle it differently while there with the proceeds of the concert and, like you said, on stage.
I think that would have also been a good option, but he and the other people/companies boycotting being in the state are trying to put pressure on the government in the only terms they care about – $.
As great as it is to support LGBT organizations, let’s be honest, no matter what they do, they aren’t going to change this particular group of legislators’ minds. They’re bigots, they aren’t going to suddenly stop being prejudiced. But they, or their voters, may start to listen when potential jobs are lost, venues sit empty, and business owners start complaining.
Bruce has to do what morally feels right and that includes not providing profits and therefore tax revenue to a state that has a government that supports bigotry and discrimination.
People’s tickets are being refunded. Concerts are cancelled all of the time for a variety reasons, this one is no different and people manage to survive.
He has already used his voice to promote equality and now he is using his name and financial power too. It sends a clear signal and I wouldn’t be surprised if other artists followed.
In my own world I am not going to spend one red cent in North Carolina, nor will my family and nor will my aunt who is from there. We won’t get any press, but we can feel like we’re doing our part.
These backward fools will continue with their draconian laws as long as we aren’t willing to use anything in our power to stop them.
This is outrageous and extreme, these bigots don’t seem to listen, but they can read dollar signs.
The concert was to be held at the Greensboro Coliseum, which is owned by the state of North Carolina. Performing there provides financial benefits to the same scum who passed and signed that law, in support of some unknown religion.
The Greensboro Coloseum is not owned by the University of North Carolina, it is owned and operated by the city of Greensboro. Not that necessarily means one thing or another…but people keep saying that and it isn’t true. Where did everyone get that idea from?
Disagree. He puts on the concert, the more conservative fans go and have a good ol time and some LGBT organization gets a donation boost of 75% that will go towards fighting against Republican leaders who do not listen to them and don’t care. That’s a huge change right?
Politicians represent and control the actions and image of a state. Voter apathy is a real thing. For better or worse Bruce’s actions have caused a lot of anger that hopefully funnels right back to the politicians. For his conservative fans blaming him they can suck a lemon. You’re not owed a concert and so long as you get refunded your money you’ve lost nothing. The world’s changing, they’ll be forced to deal with it.
Good for Bruce! And for companies (like PayPal) that are also hitting NC where it hurts, in the pocketbook.
I’m from the deep south, born and raised, and know enormous numbers of people who don’t support this kind of bigotry and backward thinking. This is not really what the South of today wants. This is more like the dying gasp of an earlier, uglier way of thinking. The people who want these laws do not represent what is wanted by lots of others in their states. The GOP gerrymandering has made getting rid of them hard to do, unfortunately.
Lindy, PayPal does business in countries where men mutilate girl’s genitals and stone women to death. So please don’t pat PayPal on the back. They are hypocrites.
Just want to make one thing clear: while stoning is often their tradition, female genital mutilation is not a Muslim thing (although some Muslims do it too, but so do Christians and followers of other religions in Africa (and a bit around the world), as the practice is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa (but quite norther of the equator)). While it is associated with Islam because of their demands for female chastity, the practice is not required by this religion. Furthermore, Muslim Scholars in Egypt, where the practice is indeed common, have argued that the practice has no basis in Islam.
I’m not trying to defend Islamic countries in any way, as they are terrible in the human rights area, this one included, but if we want to work against female genital mutilation (an area I am passionate about), connecting it to the wrong source only hurts the fight against it (because we then fight it with wrong weapons).
Canceling this close to his concert? What about all of his fans? So they get penalized when they planned to see him or made travel arrangements to see him? Canceling before an April 10th concert was terribly unprofessional in regards to his longtime fans. Many fly in, drive in, have hotels, etc. I disagree with the way he went about it.
He should have gone ahead with this concert because of his fans, but taken the proceeds from that one concert and donated it towards the organization(s) in NC who is/are working to overturn the law.
Jayna, +1000!
He would still have to pay the rental fee for the Greensboro Coliseum to the State of North Carolina, which owns the building, and he would have had to pay all relevant taxes to North Carolina, thereby financially supporting the legislature and governor.
Disagree. I’m guessing a lot of individuals didn’t expect to wake up one day and have their status turned into 3rd class perverts defined by Republican ‘family values’ crowd.
If the people who wanted to go see this concert are experiencing 1/10th of the discomfort and unhappiness minorities, gays/lesbians, and transgender people feel as a result of this law then good. Protests aren’t supposed to be convenient and fun.
As Bruce said there’s more to life than a damn rock concert.
Bruuuuuuuuuuuce!!!!! This makes me happy, and doesn’t surprise me in the least. He has spoken out against injustice in the past — anyone else remember the song “American Skin (41 Shots)”, which was about the police-shooting death of Amadou Diallo 15 years ago, and which got Bruce boycotted by the police officers’ organization in NYC?
He also puts on a hell of a show. Those NC folks are missing out. But he’s absolutely right — there are some things much more important than a concert.
Agreed- very proud that he took this stand. If it does nothing else, it brought a lot of attention to these really horrible laws.
And his shows are really, really fun!
Don’t think his NC fans, especially those who agree with him, are happy about being punished for something they have no control over. Better to make the concert an explicit display of love, acceptance and diversity. Win hearts, show support and change minds.
Concert promoters will eat the cost of the concert. Bruce Springsteen is not going to suffer nor will NC businesses.
You’re wrong. People are cheering every time someone boycotts the state for reasons I stated above.
I disagree.The hotels,restaurants,etc will suffer from his cancellation.Therefore the N.Carolina economy will suffer financially from every cancellation.Hopefully the NBA will pull the 2017 All Star Game which will cost the state tens of millions of dollars.
When many countries boycotted S.Africa because of Apartheid many S Africans who didn’t agree with their countries policies also suffered.That’s what happens,the little people always suffer.Cubans suffered because of the policies of their government and the boycott that resulted from Castro’s policies.
Great points Colette!!!
THIS. The boycott of South Africa and Sun City by musical artists helped (in a small way) to rid that country of apartheid. Boycotts do work and bring awareness to the issue.
I see your point, more so if other artists follow suit and cancel who are coming there as far as impact.
But the law passed two weeks ago, though, and he only canceled just two days before the concert. I still think canceling only two days before the concert inconvenienced many of his fans who had travel arrangements, maybe took Monday off if they traveled, etc. In that way, it could have been handled better.
Snark, again you are right.
So you would rather have this disgraceful law in your state than have a boycott by Springsteen? You must be for the law, then.
So if she doesn’t agree with how change is being affected she must agree with the law? This is gas lighting and not productive. It’s always good to have a conversation about important things even when we don’t agree. I should hope that we can discuss our views without being thrown under the bus over technicalities. It is an emotional issue because the rights of people are being trampled in North Carolina. The fact that we are here discussing it at all should prove that we care even when we don’t agree on every aspect.
If you aren’t willing to sacrifice a little financially, you are, in effect, for the law. If you won’t do anything to fight against it, you’re for it. If you’re upset about a concert being cancelled in protest of this incredibly backwards move, you’re helping it. We don’t have to agree on every aspect of how to affect change, but you’re suggesting that we do nothing. Have a big love fest. What good would that do? It’s much stronger to say I will not benefit from any money made in a state that has this law. Period.
GNAT thanks for speaking out. I think — many of us think – about times like 1930s as new laws were passed to steadily strip Jews of their protections under the law, their livelihoods, their safety and security and human dignity. Or, Jim Crow laws in the American South. At some point all good people have to speak out, make uncomfortable choices, open their mouths and not wait for it to “blow over.” Because it doesn’t “blow over” when you let it happen. Someone voted in the government of NC, gerrymandering or no gerrymandering; someone voted for that governor and those idiot senators in statewide races. If businesses and performers don’t want to tacitly endorse these kinds of illegal “laws,” they are within their rights to say no, and the more forcefully and visibly, the better.
I am in favor of boycotts and economic sanctions, which i stated. I am not sure how you arrived at the fact that i advocate doing nothing. That seems inflammatory to me but I realize that is just my opinion. It doesn’t matter what i would have done but i think it would have been cool to let disenfranchised populations and those affected by the law see how much love and support they really have from their neighbors and the state at large. I would have had a large screen in the background with a crawl listing every corporation and company supporting the laws and the governor with a call to action to boycott them. But that is just me. But I don’t think it is the way to go to accuse people of not caring or not wanting to do anything.
@Snarkweek, holding a concert in a venue owned by the State of North Carolina generates direct financial support to the State of North Carolina in the form of rental fees and taxes that cannot be countered by a background screen with a list of corporations on it. The State of North Carolina puts itself in the concert business by owning that venue and renting it to musicians.
@snarkweed, obviously, I didn’t express that very well. I’m not saying you don’t care. I believe you do care. I’m just saying that the only way this law is going to be repealed is if there are extreme reactions to it. If everybody who cares, in and out of the state stands up and shouts NO. Not acceptable, no way, we won’t do business with you, we won’t come there, we won’t have any part of you until you stop this hateful business. So if you say don’t boycott, it doesn’t matter whether you personally care or not. You are, in effect, allowing the law to stand, because you are putting money before the principal.
I never said I don’t agree with boycotts. I don’t know how else to say it. I’m simply saying that in this particular instance with this particular situation I wish Springsteen had made a different decision. I just happen to believe that he is powerful enough to create a platform that could have Made a bigger political statement that would have resounded throughout the state and the entire nation. I guess I’m thinking it could have been similar to live aid. I have stated repeatedly that this is just my opinion. Springsteen is a grassroots hero to a lot of people so I think he could’ve turned something ugly into something potentially hopeful and positive. I completely understand why he canceled the concert and I agree 100% with the spirit of that decision. I simply have run out of ways to explain myself LOL. If someone is determined to paint my words in a particular way I can talk until I am blue in the face and it won’t change anything. So I will just end on this note the law needs to be repealed, the current political climate needs to be abolished and the governor and his cronies and his big corporate backers and everyone who thinks like him needs to be shut down. I don’t think Springsteen did the wrong thing I just wish he had done something much different.
Usually boycotting works faster than any other means. I may be wrong, but I believe most states (in the US) who have been boycotted for one reason or another usually reverse themselves pretty quickly. Governor’s don’t want to be known as the one who destroyed the state, their ego is bigger than their beliefs. Hopefully this will all end quickly.
Yes! Concerts, conventions, tourism . . . are multi-tiered revenue generators (I’m not an economist, so excuse my weird terminology to describe my thoughts) because people travel and thus spend money on hotels, rental cars, restaurants, etc. so the primary event spills over into benefitting other segments of the economy.
Therefore, when boycotts impact the travel economy, there’s a widespread ripple effect. This is a powerful statement. It’s really tragic that this also hurts the people of NC, most or many of whom do not support these policies and are already being hurt by their own government, and that absolutely sucks. But the goal of a boycott is not to hurt the people of NC but to force the government into action through economics.
I have loved ones in NC, so I’m not in any way supporting the idea of punishing the people of the state. Sadly, these boycotts are the best way for the rest of the country to send the message that we will not stand for legalized discrimination. And let’s face it, we’re all impacted by this because if this law stands, it sets a terrifying precedent.
Wrong, Snarkweed, the Greensboro Coliseum, where the concert was to be, is owned by the State of North Carolina. Performing there would have provided direct financial benefit to the government that did this. Boycotting that Coliseum means the government has to figure out how to go on without those rental fees and taxes.
Yes, this exactly.
Unfortunately, they will take more money away from the already impoverished school and their already inadequate welfare system, but I don’t see any other way to pressure them than through the pocketbook.
Honestly I don’t know how the government will respond to pressure: They have no sense of shame and I think they enjoyed shoving their bigotry in the national face. They represent the segment of white men of the South who still think they have the rights of slave-holding aristocrats.
LilacFlowers, where did you get the idea that the Greensboro Coloseum is owned by the University or North Carolina and/or the state of NC? As the name implies, it is owned by the city of Greensboro. The people who manage it and work there are all city not state employees. The council members of the city of Greensboro had nothing to do with passing this law, and represent a wide range of backgrounds and political affiliations. You are misinformed. There would have been no direct profit to the state.
You’re really worried about the lack of a musical concert that doesn’t change anyone legal status or effect anyone’s life.
I get that people are sensitive about certain issues..but over bathroom rights. Seriously? If a woman wants to go into a man’s bathroom because she feels more like a man….You know what the result is…we always are in the wrong as a woman. But…now transgender men like Kaitlyn Jenner speak out…Oh now we need to respect their needs and feelings and allow a transgender man..some who still have their dam penis…walk into a woman’s bathroom to pee and poo. Where are the bathrooms that protect women and children???? Where the hell are they? I don’t see a single law or any protestors out there protesting for the women and children….For their protection!
Cait is a woman not a man first off. That you fail to understand this speaks volumes about your mindset.
What are we so called “protecting” children from? Women’s restrooms have doors on the stall and people bring their children into the Woman’s restroom all the time. So if you are worried about this then where should father’s bring their daughters to use the restroom? Last time I looked, I didn’t see anyone’s naked genitals in a restroom.
When he has sexual organ change..then perhaps I can actually believe he is a woman..but he hasn’t and mind you..he even says it himself that he PREFERS to sleep with woman still…AND agree that marriage should only be between and man and a woman. When the law starts going in this direction….don’t be surprised if in the near future you end up seeing genitals..or perhaps your young child might.
My mindset is just find Thank you very much. Check yours.
TOPgirl-
I sort of understand where you’re coming from. There have been many times when I’ve felt frustrated that it seems transgender rights get more attention than the rights of “cisgendered” women but there is a fundamental difference. While many states are trying to limit access to birth control and abortion, they are not passing laws enabling retailers and employers to actively and openly discriminate against women. Women cannot be refused service for being women. Women cannot be fired for being women.
I absolutely loathe Caitlyn Jenner, just as a loathe the sex bots on Fox news. These are women who do not support other women, in my opinion, but let’s not let that taint the importance of supporting every child who questions their gender or sexual identity, to give them a world in which they can grow and explore and come to understand their identities in safety.
Actually we do need to respect something very important about other people … we need to respect their RIGHTS.
I have the right to speak my mind. Can you respect that? Probably not cuz it doesn’t agree with yours.
Do you segregate your bathrooms at home?
Women and children have been sharing public restrooms with transgendered women for decades, yep, even you TOPgirl, and I bet you’ve never even noticed. I’ve never heard of any crime being committed on a woman or child in a restroom by a transgendered woman. Transgendered women are more likely to have a crime committed on them by being forced to use the men’s room.
@lilacflowers – I do. I’m not sharing my gorgeous spotless bathroom with a dirty boy. LOL My husband is actually very clean, but I claimed the master bathroom, he got the hall bathroom. I just wanted my own space and he didn’t have a problem with it so that’s what we did. All my female friends go to my bathroom because it’s pretty.
Lol. I lived like too and my parents too. Growing up my mother had her own bathroom as did her mother. My grandmother’s was like ground zero for dress up and it was more like a dressing room. No men allowed.
My mother followed suit and I did too. I love having my own space and not sharing my tub. It’s my safe space.
You are right about endangering the safety of transgendered women but they don’t care.
Notice once again…..and you said it yourself…Women have to tolerate and accept men’s preferences. Transgendered man or a regular man or even a gay man. They can invade into a woman’s space..public bathroom is one of them…and we have to “tolerate” and simply accept this for THEIR safety..Not yours woman.
You can lay down and be a docile dog with their preferences or you fight for women and children’s rights and safety. I pick the latter.
“Where are the bathrooms that protect women and children???? Where the hell are they? I don’t see a single law or any protestors out there protesting for the women and children….For their protection!”
Most women and children are raped, molested and abused by individuals they are close to that they share a relationship with. Tearing your hair out and gnashing your teeth over this law is nothing more than an illusion. You’re more likely to find the individual who’ll expose themselves to and hurt a child in a family photo album.
Y’all…
There’s a troll in the dungeon!
I’m from Greensboro and am vocally against the bill and the gerrymandered state legislature in general. The bill not only promotes discrimination, it also prevents local governments from setting their own minimum wage. I thought conservatives were supposed to be for small government.
That being said, I’m not sure how I feel about the boycott. The urban, liberal areas of the state will feel the most impact from the boycott. People in the rural, conservative part of the the state don’t care if the NBA All Star game isn’t in Charlotte or if Raleigh loses jobs because Pay Pal chooses not to do business in NC.
Then do something about it. It doesn’t do any good to point out that a boycott isn’t fair. Boycotts are never “fair.” Impeach your governor, write your congressman, vote, protest or do something to change the law.
That’s the problem. This entire bill is the state repressing liberal cities right to govern themselves. Do you realize this bill was passed in order to shut down an anti-discrimination law passed by Charlotte? Also, we have been protesting for YEARS and it’s not working, look up the Moral Monday movement. The state has been gerrymandered to favor republicans since they took over the legislature. The only real hope is for the courts to shut it down, which I assume they will because it’s blatantly unconstitutional.
@Greenleaf, the Supreme Court shut down some of the ability to gerrymander just last week. Unfortunately, we won’t see real improvement from it until the next round of mandatory federal re-districting, which will not happen until after the 2020 census.
I am so discouraged, GreenLeaf. I don’t know what can be done then except to rally behind the boycott and hope it works.
This is the point of boycotting too. It forces liberals to organize and to become more aggressive. The liberal cities suffer but loss of tax revenue will reverberate statewide.
“I thought conservatives were supposed to be for small government.”
I think we can officially call that out as nothing more than a lie. So long as the government favored them they didn’t want it to effect them, the second it started to try to help others it had to be controlled.
Boycotts are meant to harm business as usual. It’s meant to cause suffering. No protest had ever been done to the convenience and comfort of those involved.
I read most of the comments here and, while I respect various points of view, I want to add that it’s a bit dramatic to say that the concertgoers were ‘punished’ by the cancellation.
Springsteen’s fans should respect the man behind the artist, with all his convictions, especially as Bruce’s work is suffused with social reflection. The artist doesn’t perform in a cultural and moral vacuum, as much as the concertgoer does not listen in a vacuum. The exchange between the two goes beyond that hour and a half of live performance.
Thank you. I imagine they are behind him on this boycott and understand how important it is.
I think it’s worth noting that missing out on a rock concert is not being “punished.” It’s missing a rock concert. For those who had hotel reservations that they couldn’t cancel, yes, it sucks that they are out that money. But no one who can afford concert tickets and a hotel room is going to go bankrupt or end up on the street because of this. I wish people were a little less self-absorbed and able to appreciate that social change is difficult and requires most of us to sacrifice things from time to time. I know a lot of people in NC, including someone who had tickets to the show. They are happy about Springsteen’s action. His statement went viral, and it got a lot more publicity than a donation would have.
Thank you.
Good for him and to everyone willing to boycott, this world is getting really really sad
Good for Bruce. It’s a tough decision, with solid arguments on both sides whether boycotting helps/hurts. But ultimately he made the decision. There’s lots of talk about boycotting or pulling business by film studios, corps, etc but until a huge name like Bruce actually sets precedent and does it, it doesn’t mean much.
On a shallow note can I say how FANTASTIC this guy looks for sixty-six? Holy cow he looks good in those pics. Healthy and fit. And you know he probably doesn’t subscribe to plastic surgery or Botox either. That’s all him.
He may or may not work out in a Jersey gym that a good friend’s brother-in-law goes to. Like works out like a fiend. I’ve asked for pics. 🙂
I tried not to mention that too much, but check out the pics of him a couple of years ago at the beach. Or at a concert last tour in Australia in a totally soaked tee shirt. He is amazingly fit and totally hot!
So pleased that my school-girl crush has proven himself to be the man of my middle-age dreams — Bruce & Miami Steve continue to be my heroes!!!
Very nice ,Mr Springsteen .you are really THE BOSS *clapping*
This “bathroom gate ” is just an excuse to discriminate
When having people over at home, do you split men and women , kids and adults etc..regarding the bathroom situation ?
Who does that at home ?
I have yet to meet a(crazy) person who would check my gender before allowing me to use their bathroom …
I’m French and I can tell you , bigotry is ,sadly , everywhere.
The home thing is true. Some people have his and hers as a couple in the master bedroom but obviously would never not allow the opposite gender to use them. It makes no sense. It is crazy like you say.
Plenty of restaurants, bars and small businesses have unisex single bathrooms and there has been no public outcry. Whatever people do in their homes is their business, even if it’s a little strange or eccentric, it doesn’t effect the public and it isn’t generating revenue or tax dollars.
I don’t agree with the law, obviously, but I don’t think one can compare a bathroom at home to a public bathroom. For one thing, random strangers are not visiting your bathroom at home, nor is more than one person in there at a time, generally.
Nor are you, I’m assuming, following the people who use your home bathroom in there to check the state of their genitalia. No? Then you also shouldn’t need to do it in public.
Will he also boycott Indiana? House Bill 1337 is a violation of women’s rights to a huge degree, yet I see that Springsteen has concert dates lined up for that state. Shouldn’t women’s rights to their own bodies be just as important as the right to use the bathroom?
Thank you!
Sadly that has to rise to the same amount of attention this Bill is getting. So many states in the south are passing or bringing forward back-asswards bills it’s hard to keep track.
Indeed-the big question is why bills like the one in Indiana don’t attract the same amount of attention. If we got as up in arms about the violation of women’s rights to control their own bodies as we do over these bathroom bills we might actually make some progress in this country for women. (Indiana is not a Southern state, by the way.)
Bryan Adams just canned his show in Mississippi!
And as for those people whining about ‘the fans’ perhaps those fans should vote against aholes that pass laws like this bigoted garbage.
This surprised the hell out of me. I’d always consider him to be thoughtful and intelligent but I figured he was a bit of a good ol boy country type and wouldn’t speak up. Holy – was I wrong and so happy to be wrong!
I’d love to see the looks on the people who support this bill when they found out Springsteen wasn’t going to come and support their discriminative state (and while it isn’t the whole state as in every individual, by nature of this law the state as a whole has become discriminative). I love it!
The law is ugly, ridiculous, and stupid. Those who were planning to go to the concert are just beginning to feel the pinch of what a decision like this means for their daily lives and plans just like those it effects. If they are uncomfortable and struggling they’re still only experiencing 1/10th of the shame and fear others now feel. This is how the world works. You don’t have to like anyone but you have NO right to paint them all with a broad stroke and discriminate against them. So long as it is happening the state should be boycotted (as well as other states that are also attempting to pass such ugly laws) until it becomes so unpleasant and unprofitable that the law is removed.
Either you learn to live with the rest of us in 2016 and worry about your own bathroom habits or you remain sequestered in a lack lock of your own Conservative party values. They can rush to pass this but drag their feet organizing other laws that could actually help people.
This is a great thing that Bruce has done. If he’s played the concert and made a speech or donated the money to the cause, it would have gotten minor play in the news. This has gone viral worldwide. It is a big deal. Most of the fans on Twitter and E Street Radio are sorry that the concert was cancelled but support him wholeheartedly. Today even some that had disagreed on the radio Friday called back to say that they understood why he did it and now approved.
FYI, remember Bruce wrote (and got many Grammys and an Oscar for) “Streets of Philadelphia” for the movie Philadelphia which was the first major movie about AIDS back in the mid-90’s. He did an interview with The Advocate at that time where is stated his support for gay rights and that he was glad to finally have a platform to say so. So he is no late comer.
Also about Bruce, he has supported hunger organizations since 1984 by making a cash donation to hunger groups and giving them tickets to auction. He also talks about the groups from the stage and encourages fans to give to the organization he lets set up and collect funds in the lobbies. He has done this every concert in every city worldwide since the Born in the USA tour.
He supports Veterans. In 1981 he gave a benefit concert for Vietnam Veterans of America. Vietnam vets at the time were being treated horribly when they returned. Bobby Muller who headed the organization then said that they would not exist if not for Bruce. They were about to go under when he stepped up. He’s been doing benefits for Veterans ever since.
There is more, but beyond that he is one of the best songwriters ever and has a huge catalog of songs that he and others have cut. His live shows are legendary. He is 66, but in amazing shape and is currently giving concerts on The River tour during which he crowd surfs. The concerts are lasting between 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 hours long without him ever leaving the stage. He is doing between 33-34 songs each night. All ages come to his concert from grandmothers to children and everyone inbetween. If you have never seen him live, it needs to be on your bucket list. You will never forget it.