MAY sariling paraan si Bruce Springsteen upang bigyang boses ang pagtuligsa niya sa ipinasang batas sa North Carolina, na kakailanganing sundin ng mga tao ang kanilang birth certificate sa pagpasok sa mga pampublikong palikuran.
Sa isang pahayag na ibinahagi sa Facebook nitong Biyernes, kinansela ni Springsteen ang nakatakda niyang show sa Greensboro, N.C., dahil sa nasabing batas.
“Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them,”pahayag ni Springsteen. “It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”
Ang sinasabing “bathroom bill” ng North Carolina, na tinawag na Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, ay nilagdaan ni North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory nitong Marso.
Hindi si Springsteen ang unang tumuligsa sa nasabing batas. Maging ang apat na estado— New York, Vermont, Washington, at Minnesota — at walong lungsod— Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, New York City, at Washington, D.C. —ay ipinagbabawal ang pagtungo sa North Carolina bilang pagtutol sa ipinasang batas.
Kinansela rin ng PayPal ang plano nitong magtayo ng isang global operations center sa Charlotte matapos ipatupad ang nasabing batas.
Narito ang kabuuang saloobin ni Springsteen at inabisuhan ang mga tagahangang nakabili na ng ticket na maaari nilang bawiin ang kanilang ibinayad:
“As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. 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.” (Yahoo News)
