Earlier this week, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas announced that they were canceling concerts in North Carolina because of the state's HB2 law, which does away with protections for LGBTQ people. The pop stars joined other musical acts, including Bruce Springsteen, in boycotting the state. Now, Jonas is speaking out about why he experienced "personal disappointment" over the decision.
"It's a tough thing, and what makes it more tough is I have family in North Carolina and friends there," Jonas told E! News. "On top of the disappointment I'm sure some fans felt, I've got personal disappointment." He added, however, that he and Lovato "felt strongly" that they "had to take a firm stand and make a bold statement and it felt like the best option was to cancel the shows."
In a statement posted on both of their Instagram accounts Monday, Jonas and Lovato said: "One of our goals for the tour has always been to create an atmosphere where every single attendee feels equal, included, and accepted for who they are." The law, also known as the "bathroom bill" or "bathroom law," prevents transgender people from using the bathroom associated with the gender with which they identify.
In an opinion piece today, Charlotte Observer associate editor Peter St. Onge wrote about the impact of boycotts like this one by Jonas and Lovato. "It’s a protest that makes more of a statement than donating proceeds to LGBT causes. For some, it’s simply the right thing to do," St. Onge wrote. "And it’s working."
Jonas and Lovato were scheduled to play Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, in June and July.
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