Friday, April 08, 2016
Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Show Due to Anti-LGBT Law
Flavorwire: Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, has never been shy about his beliefs. So it’s no shocker that he’s decided to cancel his upcoming North Carolina show in response to the state’s still-active anti-LGBT law, also known as the “bathroom law,” also known as HB2.
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Didn’t we just watch what Georgia did in response to the overwhelming backlash of a similar law? I’m a fan of Bruce Springsteen, of both his music and his political stance. For some reason, the we have this problem in the United States where we confuse persecution with the rights of states and freedom of religion. It’s quite refreshing to see big names in the entertainment industry focus on the political message over the money, using the influence they have to fight for the rights of the LGBT by passing up financially fruitful opportunities, and with a surprising amount of consistency. And the best part about it is, they’re enacting change not by fattening the wallet of some congressman, but by simply boycotting certain events. It may be a few small victories, but it’s certainly a worth while start. I hope North Carolina will come to the same conclusion as Georgia on this matter.
I’m from NC, and this is awesome! I am very glad Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, is taking a stand. Not only does it push the people in NC to take a more active stand, but it also makes this issue come down to money, as in like the money NC loses each day they keep this law. And we all know money talks, and I think that at the end of the day the best way to get a big institution like the government to make a move, money is the best way to do it.
But also The Boss makes a great statement when he says “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 the.” My last comment was on censor ship and political correctness’s and freedom of speech, and I think the Trump 2016 on the CMU fence is exactly what The Boss is talking about. I do understand completely that passing a law and painting some words ARE NOT THE SAME, but how is painting over those words and pushing against those words anything different than “fighting against prejudice and bigotry,” something The Boss is being celebrated for! Some things ARE less important than that fight, and fence rules are one of them. Let’s care more about fighting bigotry then we do about paint! Let’s be BRUCE!
I don't know if it is just because I'm a college drama student or not, but why is it that I only find out about LGBT discrimination when its people in the entertainment industry speaking out and making a statement about it? It was because of Stephan Swartz canceling Wicked that I found out about the similar situation a week ago. I thought as an American society we were past this. Their are many people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, just like their are people who identify as straight, how hard is that to accept? I think the more we make these rather quiet stands against the discrimination it makes the biggest difference, it involved zero violence which I really appreciate, and still makes a big statement. I hope other celebrities take similar acts and soon, because it is so important that we keep moving forward and not backwards.
These recent laws passing are very discouraging, since they seem to be trying to work backwards against all of the progressive changes that people have been working so hard to implement in terms of LGBT rights. But it’s so nice to see such powerful pop culture figures speaking out against these injustices with perhaps one of the most powerful tools of them all: fame and social media. This recent bill passing in North Carolina is especially difficult to handle because not only is it so heartlessly discriminatory against trans and non-binary individuals who already have enough trouble using the bathroom (which should be a fundamental human right) as is, but it also makes it so that LGBT people have a much more difficult time appealing against employment- based discrimination. It’s disgusting and hard to believe that we live in a country where you could still be fired from your job for being gay or transgender, but it’s a harsh reality that we need to face in order to continue making progress. The basises described in these laws of religious and individual freedoms are just excuses for people to continue with their backwards ways of thinking and, as Bruce Springsteen comments, to “overturn the progress” we have paved in the way of human rights.
Yay Bruce! We are living in a very transformative time for the US and there has been a lot of backlash from parts of the country who want to stop the growth of rights for minorities, or in this case LGBT rights. The laws that have been introduced across the country are very discouraging to the progress that we have made in equal rights. It is really hard to continue to change minds and to continue making progress if we don't use our influence. We make change by taking a stand for what believe in and by people who have extreme influence using it. We just recently saw an anti LGBT law get shot down in Georgia because members of the arts community took a stand for what is right. As members of the arts community we are lucky to have the influence and pull that we do and we need to start using to better the country, and to help the people that are part of our community. i am so glad that Bruce Springstein has taken a stand, and I hope that many other artists will follow him. It's easy to forget the kind of influence we have, and how much it can help people. We also need to recognize the influence we can make individually. I don't have as much pull as Springstein, obviously, but if I can change a few minds, than I will have improved the world in some way. We need to encourage our celebrities to take stands and use their power, but we also can't forget out influence, and that change gets made by the little people, not the big ones.
This is absolutely wonderful. It makes me happy that we are living in a time when the major point of a news story about an anti-LGBT law is not the law itself but the amount of backlash the the state is getting for having passed the law. Just on the blog, with a couple headlines of each other, are this article about the stand Bruce Springsteen is making as well as one about a Hulu show that has moved it’s filming location from NC all the way to Vancouver, Canada because of the law. Springsteen ends his statement with a call to arms regarding the “fight against prejudice and bigotry.” Completely removing his concert is probably the strongest statement he could have made against the law. He could have still held it and then spoken out against the law at his concert, but in our current society when it comes to protesting things, money talks. As much as I wish we lived in a country where we could engage the lawmakers in a serious political debate and try to change their minds, unfortunately withdrawing economic opportunities like concerts and TV shows is the strongest statement we can make.
I find this form of action to be very interesting. We saw it from Stephen Schwarz, and now we're seeing it from Springsteen as well. My very first reaction to both was, "DAMN, yes, get 'em." My second reaction was a feeling of disappointment for those who were hoping to see performances for Wicked or a concert from Springsteen. My third and current reaction is one of respect for these men who have used their most powerful weapon to make a statement that has the ability to make, if nothing else, a real fuss. I would love to see more high profile people acting out against this ridiculous law. It will be difficult to make real change in North Carolina over this, but there is power in numbers (especially numbers of influential people). There is also the financial element here, which is really the big one. So many people and companies are backing out of North Carolina because of this that the economy is truly going to suffer. Maybe that, if nothing else, will give the governor a wake-up call.
I'm not necessarily surprised that so many entertainers are banding together to end this ridiculous law, but I guess it's more surprising that so many entertainers are standing up while many other industries continue to remain silent. Sure, companies like Disney and the NFL have stood up, and they should definitely be recognized for that, however, it seems that many companies haven't said a word about continuing business in North Caroline, even if they pretend to promote an image of being "all-accepting". It's a bit frustrating that the entertainment industry is standing up, but doing it alone, which makes it seem like other industries don't have to do anything about it, because the most recognizable names in the world have already decided to take their business elsewhere. It's also quite surprising that the state government hasn't done much to address the companies who have mentioned that they're taking their business elsewhere, as that would seem to be a major interest of the government.
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