Bruce Springsteen may be the latest performer to boycott North Carolina over its law seen as discriminatory against the LGBT community, but now one group is urging performers not to follow The Boss' lead.
The organization North Carolina Needs You started a new initiative over the weekend aimed at encouraging performers to keep their shows in the state in order to generate money locally and speak out against the controversial legislation.
Related: Bruce Springsteen Cancels N.C. Show Over Law Seen as Anti-LGBT
The group began their push after Springsteen canceled his date in Greensboro last Friday in response to the so-called "religious freedom" law viewed as an attempt to roll back protections for gay and transgender people.
"We need you here, in North Carolina, helping to raise money and awareness in order to defeat such policies and the politicians who enacted and defend them," a statement from the group said.
Opponents of the law are asking performers to keep their shows and use the stage as a platform to make a statement or to donate their profits to advocacy groups fighting for the LGBT community.
Jimmy Buffett wrote on his "Margaritaville" blog Saturday that he's not pulling out of the state, with upcoming shows this month in Raleigh and Charlotte. He plans to rock on, he said, despite the state's "stupid law, based on stupid assumptions."
"North Carolina was there for me as a performer in the early days and I have always felt a loyalty to fans there that goes deep," he said. "These shows were booked and sold out long before the governor signed that stupid law. I am not going to let stupidity or bigotry trump fun for my loyal fans this year."
Related: Charles Barkley Takes Stand Against 'Anti-Discrimination' Law in N.C.
Buffett is not the only artist or entertainer who is heeding the advice of North Carolina Needs You. Comedian Joel McHale performed in Durham, and said he would donate all of his proceeds to the city's LGBTQ center.
And Southern Rock icon Greg Allman said Tuesday that he would still perform on the state on Wednesday, but he had some harsh words about the law and others like it.
"Although we, as a nation, have made progress in many areas, it’s sad and infuriating that some, in 2016, are still working so hard to take the rights away from our brothers and sisters as in the cases of “bathroom laws” recently passed in North Carolina (HB2 – Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act) and Mississippi ("Religious Liberty" bill 1523), discriminating against the LGBT community," Allman said in a statement.
"We stand in solidarity with the LGBT community urging Gov. McCrory to listen to the people and reverse this wrong," Allman said, adding that he hoped his music "unites people in this challenging time."
Still, there is a growing list of companies and artists who won’t be doing business at all in the state over the law, which prevents any local governments from passing ordinances that prohibit discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has said the law is meant to protect people's privacy, but on Tuesday signed an executive order that walked back parts of the law. He expanded government employment opportunity policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity but reinforced that transgender people would be required to use bathrooms that align with the gender on their birth certificate in schools and state government buildings.
The move came hours after Deutsche Bank announced that it is freezing plans to create 250 jobs at its location near Raleigh.
Last week, Paypal nixed plans for a $3.6 million global operations center in Charlotte, preventing the creation of 400 jobs.
"We take our commitment to building inclusive work environments seriously. We’re proud of our operations and employees in Cary and regret that as a result of this legislation we are unwilling to include North Carolina in our U.S. expansion plans for now," Deutsche Bank co-CEO John Cryan said in a statement.
Time will tell if other companies or artists will choose to run from North Carolina just like Springsteen.
Pop stars Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez and country singers Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton are slated to play in North Carolina in the coming months, but have not announced any changes to their concert schedules.
