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Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace to Use North Carolina Show to Protest State’s Anti-LGBT Law

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 09: Musician Laura Jane Grace attends the AOL Originals Fall Premiere Event at Palihouse Holloway on October 9, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for AOL)

Several big-name musicians, including Ringo Starr and Bruce Springsteen, have canceled scheduled concerts in North Carolina to protest the state’s new anti-LGBT “religious freedom” laws. But Laura Jane Grace, the transgender frontwoman of the punk-rock act Against Me!, has declared that she’ll still be playing in North Carolina despite the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (otherwise known as HB2) as a form of protest. Grace first announced her plans to go through with the May 15 gig late last month, but recently spoke to BuzzFeed about her plans.

[articleembed id=”190237″ title=”Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Show to Protest Anti-LGBT 'Bathroom Bill'” image=”190240″ excerpt=”Update: Former Beatle Ringo Starr has canceled a scheduled June 18 concert to protest North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, also referred to as HB2″]

“I’m going to create an event around the show as a form of protest to say that despite whatever stupid laws they enact, trans people are not going to be scared. They are not going to go away,” she said. “I think the real danger with HB2 is that it creates a target on transgender people specifically. When you feel targeted as a trans person, the natural inclination is to go into hiding. But visibility is more important than ever; to go there and have the platform of a stage to stand on and speak your mind and represent yourself.”

“Bryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen aren’t transgender,” Grace said of some of the musicians who have canceled shows in response to the bigoted new law. “For them to say, ‘I think this bill is messed up and I’m not going to go here and be part of the state,’ that seems like the effort of an ally, which is really commendable.” But, she continues, Against Me! canceling a show wouldn’t make as big of an impact, and she wanted to express solidarity with the trans individuals who live in North Carolina. “They live here. They pay taxes. They are prisoners to it.”

Against Me!’s show will take place on May 15th in Durham. Tickets are available here.