Another apparent fallout from North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ House Bill 2: losing the wedding of celebrity couple Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and R&B singer Ciara.
According to the power couple’s wedding planner, North Carolina was the first of three locales they considered.
“I did the whole thing — three times,” wedding planner Mindy Weiss told The Knot. “They were first getting married in North Carolina, but they called it off due to the transgender bathroom laws.”
Ultimately, after considering Paris, Wilson and Ciara married in an English castle, where Ciara wore a 13-foot wedding dress.
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The decision to change venues should come as little surprise given Wilson’s recent comments about social responsibility.
“Well, I think we all have a responsibility,” he told ESPN. “It’s not just on athletes, it’s not just on coaches, it’s not just on anybody in particular. It’s on all of us. I think ultimately it comes down to love and appreciating one another and respect for one another.”
Ciara has long been an advocate for the LGBTQ community. The “Like a Boy” singer recorded an “It Gets Better” video in 2013 and told The Advocate she supported NBA player Jason Collins when he came out.
“I think it’s cool, because you have to embrace who you are. If you don’t embrace who you are and accept who you are, you won’t be able to live a happy life. At the end of the day, we have to live our lives for ourselves,” she said. “I’m sure he had the biggest sense of freedom when he came out. I’m always happy for a person that can be confident, embrace who they are, and live life how they want to live.”