TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY Indie Artists Debate Whether Canceling Shows is an Effective Means of Protest

On March 23, 2016, the state of North Carolina passed The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, otherwise known as House Bill 2 or HB2. The law, as written, strips out anti-discrimination protections for gay, bisexual, and transgender people, as well as prohibits transgender individuals from using the bathroom of their choice in public buildings. The backlash was swift. Within days PayPal, Deutsche Bank, and Red Ventures cancelled planned expansions in the state. Movie and TV productions looked for new settings. Numerous cities banned official government travel to North Carolina. By April 8, Bruce Springsteen had cancelled his upcoming concert, and Ringo Starr, Pearl Jam, and Maroon 5 would soon follow suit. It seemed as if the arts and business communities were speaking in unison: North Carolina’s government had crossed a line and there would be repercussions.

But it wasn’t that simple. A few days after the wave of show cancellations, Against Me! lead vocalist Laura Jane Grace, a transgender artist, announced that the band would be going