Rock star Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band guitarist Steven "Little Stevie" Van Zandt might consider themselves as "freedom fighters" standing for equality, but evangelist Franklin Graham and Christian radio host Michael Brown would beg to differ.
Graham left a message for Springsteen on his Facebook page, telling the singer nicknamed "The Boss" that "a nation embracing sin and bowing at the feet of godless secularism and political correctness is not progress."
Graham was reacting to Springsteen's decision to cancel his April 10 concert in Greensboro, North Carolina in protest against the enactment of a new bathroom privacy law in the state which require people to use public bathrooms corresponding only to their biological sex.
For his part, Brown wrote in an open letter posted in The Christian Post that he commends both Springsteen and Van Zandt for putting their principles before their livelihood.
However, he questions their judgment because the main goal of North Carolina's new bathroom privacy law is to protect the children and keep rapists and predators out of public restrooms.
"If any man who claims to be a woman can use women's bathrooms and locker rooms, then how do we keep the sexual predators out?" he asked. "Without HB2, rapists and voyeurs and paedophiles would have free access to our women and daughters in the safety of their own bathrooms and locker rooms."
Springsteen claimed that North Carolina overturned progress when it enacted the controversial Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2.
"Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards," Springsteen said in a statement.
Van Zandt also backed Springsteen's decision and said it's about time they fight the discrimination against the LGBT community.
"We just felt the issue was just too important," Van Zandt told The Rolling Stone magazine. "This really vile and evil discrimination is starting to spread state to state and we thought, 'We better take a stand right now and catch it early.'"
