Pop star Selena Gomez will not cancel a scheduled performance in North Carolina on Tuesday over the state’s recent passage of a transgender bathroom law, choosing instead to donate a portion of the proceeds from the concert to fight what she calls an “act of discrimination.”
“I am very fortunate to have grown up in a home where I learned from an early age that everyone should be treated equally,” Gomez said in a statement to E News!
“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,” she added.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — properly known as HB 2 — into law on March 24. The law requires transgender individuals to use the public restroom and locker room that corresponds to the gender listed on their birth certificate. The legislation also forbids cities within North Carolina from enacting their own non-discrimination ordinances.
In the wake of the bill’s passage, numerous high-profile artists — including Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and the rock bands Boston and Maroon 5 — have cancelled scheduled performances in North Carolina.
A smaller number of artists — including Beyoncé, Against Me! founder Laura Jane Grace and rocker Dave Matthews — have continued to perform in the state and have donated concert revenue to organizations working to fight the law.
Gomez will reportedly donate a portion of the revenue from her show to gay rights advocacy group Equality North Carolina.
Gomez is scheduled to perform at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena on Tuesday, June 7, and says she has asked that venue to ensure that “gender neutral bathrooms” are available to all concertgoers.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson
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