Another major singer is canceling a concert to protest a religious freedom law
Thomson Reuters
Canadian singer Bryan Adams has canceled a show in Mississippi this week to protest a new state law that lets people with religious objections deny services to same-sex couples, the rocker said in a statement.
"I cannot in good conscience perform in a state where certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation," Adams wrote on his website.
A law signed in Mississippi last week allows people with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and permits employers to cite religion in determining workplace policies on dress code, grooming and bathroom and locker access.
Adams, who was set to perform on Thursday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, called the bill "extremely discriminatory."
"Hopefully Mississippi will right itself and I can come back and perform for all of my many fans. I look forward to that day," Adams said.
Executives of several major U.S. corporations urged Mississippi officials last week to repeal the law, condemning it as discriminatory.
On Friday, U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen canceled a weekend concert in North Carolina to protest a new state law barring transgender people from choosing bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Jeffrey Benkoe)