Selena Gomez will play North Carolina gig despite anti-transgender laws
Selena Gomez has announced she will be playing in North Carolina but some of the ticket proceeds will be donated to local LGBT groups in the state.
Global artists including U2, Bruce Springsteen and Maroon 5 have banded together to boycott playing in the state because of the anti LGBT laws that have been recently introduced.
Fellow Disney child actors Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato cancelled their tour dates in North Carolina.
The HB2 bathroom law states that transgender people are to use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex they were born as, not the sex they currently are.
Gomez issued a statement that explained her decision to go on with the gig that takes place in Charlotte, NC tomorrow.
The singer said: “I am very fortunate to have grown up in a home where I learned from an early age that everyone should be treated equally.
“I went back and forth on whether I should cancel my concert in North Carolina and ultimately I think what is right for me is to move forward with my show and donate a portion of the proceeds to Equality North Carolina and their effort to defeat this act of discrimination.”
The former Disney star has previously been banned from Russia because of her open support for LGBT laws.
She added: “I’ve been reassured the venue I will be performing in has gender neutral bathrooms as I want everyone coming to my show to be welcomed. I feel like my generation is the most progressive one yet and believe there will be a day soon when laws like HB2 won’t even be a consideration.”
Beyoncé also played in North Carolina as part of her Formation Tour despite criticism. During the gig she spoke out against the bill.
Some proceeds from all of the tickets sold for Gomez’s tour will be donated to the Alliance for Lupus Research.
