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Bryan Adams Cancels Mississippi Show, Citing Anti-gay Laws


FILE - Singer-songwriter Bryan Adams performs in concert during his “Reckless - 30th Anniversary Tour 2015” at the Delaware State Fair, July 28, 2015.
FILE - Singer-songwriter Bryan Adams performs in concert during his “Reckless - 30th Anniversary Tour 2015” at the Delaware State Fair, July 28, 2015.

Canadian musician Bryan Adams has announced that he is canceling his show in Mississippi to protest a new state law which allows people with religious objections to deny services to same-sex couples.

"I cannot in good conscience perform in a State where certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation," Adams announced on his website Monday. "Using my voice I stand in solidarity with all my LGBT friends to repeal this extremely discriminatory bill."

The controversial law signed last week allows Mississippi business owners to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and allows them to determine workplace policies on dress code, grooming, and bathroom and locker access based on their religious beliefs.

Adams, who was scheduled to perform at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Thursday, has joined activists looking to repeal the law, calling it "extremely discriminatory". Major corporations are also seeking to repeal the law, claiming that it will negatively impact both recruitment and the tourism industry.

This act of protest follows Bruce Springsteen's cancellation of his show in North Carolina last Friday in opposition to a new state law forcing transgender people to choose bathrooms according to their gender at birth.

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