Image Group LA/ABCA veritable who’s who of pop stars and actors have joined an effort by Jack Antonoff — of .fun and Bleachers fame — in opposing a proposed “bathroom bill” measure in Texas similar to the one passed last year in North Carolina which would restrict the use of public bathrooms on the basis of birth-certificate gender.
Lady Gaga, Sia, Ariana Grande, Sara Bareilles, Britney Spears, Janelle Monae, Rita Ora and Carly Rae Jepsen, as well as veteran artists like Sting and Cyndi Lauper are just a few of the 142 signees of a open letter published Tuesday on TxTogether.org.
“I hope it goes completely viral and that people will know about these bills, they’ll look at them, they understand how hateful they are, they tweet about it, they talk about it, they call their local legislators,” Jack tells Billboard of the effort he’s dubbed “The Creative Community Against Anti-LGBTQ Legislation in Texas.”
So what does Jack think a group of musicians and actors — signees include Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone and Amy Schumer — can do by signing such a letter? “Our support means a lot. Our support is financial, it has to do with the economy, it’s artistic, it’s all of it,” he tells Billboard. “I wrote this letter because I want them to know that me and all of my friends — all of these wonderful artists and actors and writers and designers — are watching Texas and are not OK with this happening.”
Also signing are feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Jack’s significant other Lena Dunham, and a variety of music acts like Paramore, Fitz and the Tantrums and Jack’s .fun band mate Nate Ruess.
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