Maroon 5 will not be spending "One More Night" in North Carolina anytime soon, making an announcement today that may have fans in the Tar Heel state in "Misery."
The Grammy-winning pop-rock group cancelled two shows in the state in response to anti-LGBT House Bill 2.
"This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band," the group wrote in a statement on their website. The band wrote that they don't want to "penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the end it comes down to what we feel is morally right."
HB 2 requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that do not match their gender identity. The law, introduced and signed into law in less than 12 hours during a special legislative session on March 23, also rescinds all existing LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances, prohibits new ones, bars residents from suing for discrimination in state court, and bars counties from setting a minimum wage higher than the state's.
Maroon 5 joins a growing list of entertainers who have cancelled shows in the state, including Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas. On Sunday, Laura Jane Grace, the lead singer of Against Me! and an out transgender woman, burned her birth certificate on stage while performing in the state.
The federal government announced it was suing the state of North Carolina earlier this month because HB 2 violates federal civil rights protections in employment and education. The announcement came hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory stated he was suing the Department of Justice for threatening the state's federal funding. However, the White House has confirmed that the administration will not be withholding funds from the state while the legal battle plays out.
