Pop singer Nick Jonas is standing by the decision to cancel a pair of concerts in North Carolina over the state’s so-called LGBT “bathroom” law, telling Ellen DeGeneres on Monday that it was “the right thing to do.”
Jonas is set to kick off a co-headlining cross-country tour with fellow pop star Demi Lovato next month, but the pair recently said in a statement that planned concerts in Charlotte on June 30 and in Raleigh on July 2 would no longer go on as scheduled.
“North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 law is extremely disappointing, and it takes away some of the LGBT community’s most basic rights and protections. But we will not allow this to stop us from continuing to make progress for equality and acceptance,” Jonas and Lovato said in a joint statement through GLAAD last month. “We know the cancelation of these shows is disappointing to our fans, but we trust that you will stand united with us against this hateful law.”
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres set to air Monday, Jonas called the situation “incredibly frustrating.”
“We are very aware of our strong LGBT community fanbase and the support they’ve given us and the support we want to give them,” Jonas told the talk show host. “And this was a time where I feel like we said we have to make a bold statement, put our foot down and stand firm in something we believe in and it’s unfortunate for the fans there and for us because we want to go play as many shows as possible.”
“But in our minds it’s the right thing to do,” he added, “and hopefully our fans will stand united with us.”
North Carolina’s HB2 – also called the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — mandates that transgender individuals use the public restroom that corresponds with their biological sex. The bill also prohibits cities in North Carolina from passing their own non-discrimination ordinances.
In the wake of Gov. Pat McCrory’s signature of the bill, artists including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Ringo Starr have all canceled concerts in the state.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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