boycotts

Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace Still Plans to Play North Carolina: ‘Trans People Are Not Going to Be Scared’

Red Carpet - 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

While North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ House Bill 2 has inspired a wave of boycotts from sympathetic musicians, Against Me! and their trans frontwoman Laura Jane Grace have opted to combat the legislation the best way they know how: continuing to shred, and continuing to wail. “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,†Grace told Buzzfeed News about her band’s scheduled Durham performance on May 15. Explained the singer, “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.†While she commends such artists as Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr for boycotting their North Carolina shows as a sign of support, Grace observes that a similar boycott from trans musicians would not necessarily have the same effect. Says Grace, “[N]o one would care if we canceled.â€

Laura Jane Grace Plans to Play North Carolina