Pearl Jam Cancel North Carolina Show Over Anti-LGBTQ Law

Pearl Jam are the latest band to cancel their concert in North Carolina. The band, who were set to perform Wednesday in Raleigh, will not perform because of House Bill 2—the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act—which prohibits transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match the “biological sex” listed on their birth certificate. “The practical implications are expansive and its negative impact upon basic human rights is profound,” the band wrote in a statement. “We want America to be a place where no one can be turned away from a business because of who they love or fired from their job for who they are. It is for this reason that we must take a stand against prejudice.” They plan on donating to a local LGBTQ rights group. Find the full handwritten statement below.

Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr also recently cancelled concerts in response to the law. Artists including Against Me!, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, and Mumford & Sons decided to perform and use the platform to raise awareness about the law and donate to local LGBTQ rights organizations.

Read “Op-Ed: North Carolina’s Transgender Fight Needs Musicians to Show Up.”

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