Bruce Springsteen was accused of “bullying” North Carolina after opposing the bathroom bill and defending transgender rights
In 2016, while on The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen made the decision to cancel a show scheduled in Greensboro, North Carolina, two days before it was supposed to take place.
Springsteen did so in protest of the state legislature’s newly-instated law, the HB2 – nicknamed the ‘Bathroom Bill’. The HB2 bill, officially titled the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, amended the state law to preempt anti-discrimination ordinances passed by local communities; gave North Carolina the exclusive rights to determine the minimum wage; and obliged schools and state and local government facilities that utilised single-gender bathrooms to dictate which bathrooms transgender people were permitted to use.
Such facilities “shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility that is designated for and used only by persons based on their biological sex,” the bill read.
This act of blatant anti-LGBTQ+ legislation rightfully warranted much criticism, as it prevented transgender people who either had not or could not alter their birth certificates from using the restroom that aligned with their gender identity. The bill also changed the definition of biological sex to “the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person’s birth certificate,” which emphasised the restrictions, alongside the removal of municipal anti-discrimination protections, which threatened LGBTQ+ citizens’ right to sue for discrimination in the workplace.
“No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden,” Springsteen wrote in a statement posted on his website, in light of the show’s cancellation.
“To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognising the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.”
Bruce Springsteen
The HB2 was met with a wave of protests, including the decisions by state, county and city governments across the United States to forbid their employees from non-essential travel to North Carolina; the criticism by President Barack Obama, who denounced the bill and called for its repeal; and the cancellation of events and creation of jobs in the state by corporations and firms. In turn, North Carolina’s economy lost over $400million in investments and jobs.
“Right now,” Springsteen continued, “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.” Thus, “with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro”, Springsteen acknowledged, he and the E Street Band cancelled their performance in the state.
Springsteen was met with criticism for his decision, including from North Carolina congressman Mark Walker, who told The Hollywood Reporter, “Bruce is known to be on the radical left, and he’s got every right to be so, but I consider this a bully tactic. It’s like when a kid gets upset and says he’s going to take his ball and go home.”
Springsteen’s decision, however, was an apt decision that utilised his stature as a public figure to express his concern for and alignment with those vulnerable and in protest. Never being one to shy away from putting his political beliefs to song, known for his dissection of the American reality across his discography, Springsteen’s actions aligned with his beliefs, lending his voice to the people.
The HB2 would be partially repealed on March 30th, 2017, eliminating the bill’s bathroom regulations while maintaining the other parts of the law. After being met with criticism, a full repeal followed on December 1st, 2020, by a “sunset provision”, with a narrow provision giving the North Carolina General Assembly the sole authority to pass future regulations related to government-owned bathrooms. Many local governments, in response, enacted local laws in protection of their LGBTQ+ citizens from discrimination.
“Some things are more important than a rock show,” Springsteen concluded in his statement, “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.”
