Mumford and Sons donates proceeds from North Carolina gig to LGBT charities
Mumford and Sons has donated the proceeds from a North Carolina concert to charity in the wake of an anti-LGBT bill passing.
The band last week announced plans to donate the proceeds from the gig to charity, after HB2, widely condemned, was passed.
The bill restricts the rights of trans people to use a gender-appropriate bathroom, as well as prohibiting local authorities from passing bills to protect LGBT people.
Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr are among celebrities to ditch appearances in the state after Governor Pat McCrory signed HB2 into law.
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But joining Cyndi Lauper, who also last week said she would still perform there, the band said it would perform in the state, but that it would donate proceeds to an LGBT rights organisation.
The band posted a statement saying they had set up a fund to donate the money, and that they had met with the mayor of Charlotte.
We’re pleased to follow up on our announcement of last week regarding the proceeds from the (fantastic) Charlotte show. We have now set up the Gentlemen Of The Road Fund which will donate funds to charities fighting for social justice around the world.
We met with the Mayor of Charlotte and some other charities and action groups while we were in town and will be making donations to the following wonderfully worthy organisations: Equality NC, the oldest LGBT rights action group in the US (https://equalitync.org), Time Out Youth, which creates a safe place for young LGBT people in Charlotte (https://www.timeoutyouth.org) and the Equal Justice Initiative, a civil rights campaigning group based in Alabama (https://www.eji.org).
Thanks also go to Grayson and Tina at NC Needs You (https://www.ncneedsyou.com) for their sage advice. Stay tuned for future announcements relating to the Gentlemen Of The Road Fund.
Last month North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed law which voids all local ordinances protecting LGBT rights, as well as permitting businesses to discriminate against LGBT people on the grounds of religious belief.
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The new law also bans transgender students in public schools from using their preferred bathroom.
McCrory’s decision has attracted a legal challenge as well as a growing boycott of the state, with over 100 companies slamming the decision.
After Springsteen’s announcement, the guitarist from the E Street Band Steven Van Zandt said North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law is like an “evil virus” in explaining why their concert was cancelled for this Sunday.
Springsteen was accused of using “bully tactics” for cancelling the concert by one of the state’s Representatives.
But dozens of celebrities and hundreds of fans came to the defence of Springsteen, commending him for taking a stand.
McCrory earlier this week issued an order attempting to water down the anti-LGBT law – but most of its provisions remain in place.
“After listening to people’s feedback for the past several weeks on this issue, I have come to the conclusion that there is a great deal of misinformation, misinterpretation, confusion, a lot of passion and frankly, selective outrage and hypocrisy, especially against the great state of North Carolina,” McCrory said in a statement.
“Based upon this feedback, I am taking action to affirm and improve the state’s commitment to privacy and equality.”
Meanwhile in Mississippi, which passed similar, if not worse legislation, Sharon Stone cancelled filming of a project in the state, and Bryan Adams also snubbed the state, cancelling a gig.
