Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams stand up for LGBTI rights

LEGENDARY singer Bruce Springsteen has been labelled a bully for condemning the controversial anti-LGBTI laws in the Us state of North Carolina.

 Springsteen announced he would cancel his concert in the city of Greensboro after the state passed the House Bill 2 law (HB2), which removed all existing LGBTI-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances and forces trans people to use public bathrooms matching the sex on their birth certificate.

HB2 will also prevent LGBTI people from pursuing legal action if they are discriminated at their place of work.

“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,” Springsteen said on a statement on his website.

“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.”

It’s about human rights. A big leap forward for the #lgbtq community. Good decision @springsteen

— Nils Lofgren (@nilslofgren) April 8, 2016

A North Carolina Senator who voted in favour of HB2 said Springsteen was a bully for cancelling his show and Greensboro would be okay without his show as Def Leppard and Justin Bieber were touring there soon.

“It’s disappointing he’s not following through on his commitments,” Republican Mark Walker 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 is not the only influential rock star to cancel a live performance over anti-LGBTI legislation, with Canadian singer Bryan Adams refusing to perform in Mississippi thanks to the southern state’s Religious Liberty bill which allows businesses to refuse service to LGBTI people from July 1.

Adams took to Instagram to make the announcement.

“I cannot in good conscience perform in a State where certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation,” he posted.

“Hopefully Mississippi will right itself and I can come back and perform for all of my many fans. I look forward to that day”.

Mississippi has passed anti-LGBT ‘Religious Liberty’ bill 1523. I find it incomprehensible that LGBT citizens are being discriminated against in the state of Mississippi. I cannot in good conscience perform in a State where certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation. Therefore i’m cancelling my 14 April show at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Using my voice I stand in solidarity with all my LGBT friends to repeal this extremely discriminatory bill. Hopefully Mississippi will right itself and I can come back and perform for all of my many fans. I look forward to that day. ‪#‎stop1523‬

A photo posted by @bryanadams on Apr 10, 2016 at 9:09pm PDT

The backlash against the bills in Mississippi and North Carolina continues to mount as many sporting codes and businesses, such as the NFL and Paypal speak out against the laws.