The San Francisco Symphony has canceled two scheduled performances at UNC’s Memorial Hall in April 2017 due to the state’s House Bill 2.
A flood of cancellations impacted the entire state following the North Carolina General Assembly calling a one-day special session in March to pass HB2, which advocates maintain is the worst piece of anti-LGBT legislation in the nation.
San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee was one of the local and state officials from across the country to ban publicly-funded city employees from traveling to the Tar Heel state in protest of the law. Symphony officials wrote when canceling the events in Chapel Hill that the organization is not a city entity but “it honors its role as a cultural ambassador to also include the values of the city whose name it carries.”
“The Symphony today made the decision to cancel its appearances in North Carolina,” executive director Brent Assink said in a release. “In the months after HB2 became law, we have closely watched the fluctuating political landscape in hopes that the law would be overturned. Because that has not yet happened, and due to pressing internal travel deadlines, the San Francisco Symphony has made the decision to cancel its concerts at this time.
“This decision is not a reflection of our regard for Carolina Performing Arts, which is a valued artistic partner, but a response to the North Carolina state legislature’s decision to enact HB2. We would have loved to perform at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a community that in many ways is consonant with our own San Francisco Bay Area. But we also feel we must join our city, our state, the NBA, NCAA, and the many artists, organizations, and businesses who have chosen to not visit or contribute economically to North Carolina until legislation denying protection for the LGBT community has been overturned. The San Francisco Symphony, its Board of Governors, and Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas wholeheartedly support this decision, as they support all those striving for equality and inclusiveness in their community and beyond.”
Carolina Performing Arts Executive and Artistic Director and Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Emil J. Kang, also issued a statement regarding the cancellation.
“I am disappointed that the San Francisco Symphony will not be performing at UNC-Chapel Hill in April, 2017 because of NC House Bill 2 (HB2) but I respect their decision to cancel. UNC-Chapel Hill policies – including protections for sexual orientation and gender identity— remain in effect, and we have never enforced HB2 on our campus. We at Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) will continue to foster inclusion and strive to provide an open, welcoming environment for all patrons.”
The law immediately drew backlash across the country and led to the cancelation of concerts and events in the state, including the National Basketball Association pulling the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte and the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference pulling championship events from the state.
Analysts have also pointed to the law as the main reason Republican Governor Pat McCrory lost his re-election bid to Democratic Attorney General and Governor-elect Roy Cooper in November.
Cooper has said the law needs to be repealed, but it is unclear how much he will be able to impact the legislation as Republicans control supermajorities in the state House and Senate with the long legislative session set to get underway in January.
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