“I’m sorry to disappoint my fans in the area, but we need to take a stand against this hatred. ... How sad that they feel that this group of people cannot be defended,” the British musician said in a statement on his Facebook account.

With the cancellation of the Cary concert, which had been scheduled for June 18, Starr joins rocker Bruce Springsteen, who recently decided not to perform in North Carolina to express his opposition to the so-called “Bathroom bill,” officially known as House Bill 2 or the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act.

The law stipulates that people must use bathrooms matching the sex that is listed on their birth certificates, thus reversing an ordinance passed in the city of Charlotte in support of transgender members of the community.

The state law, which was signed into law on March 23 by Governor Pat McCrory, has been the target of significant criticism from civil organizations.

Starr said in his statement that the law opens the door to discrimination everywhere in the state by limiting the anti-discrimination laws against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In addition, he called upon his fans to help fight HB2 by supporting organizations that are “fighting to overturn” the law.

Starr has scheduled a summer U.S. tour starting on June 3 in Syracuse, New York, and wrapping up on July 2 in Los Angeles.