British rock band Mumford and Sons is apparently making good on its pledge to donate all profits from its April 14th show in Charlotte, North Carolina, despite other artists boycotting the state over its law about transgender bathroom usage.
On Saturday, the group posted on Facebook it would donate donate the funds to charities that are fighting for “social justice,” in response to the state’s newly passed Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which requires individuals to use the public restroom that corresponds with their biological gender.
“We’re pleased to follow up on our announcement of last week regarding the proceeds from the (fantastic) Charlotte show,” the band wrote. “We have now set up the Gentlemen Of The Road Fund which will donate funds to charities fighting for social justice around the world.”
Mumford and Sons added:
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 (http://equalitync.org), Time Out Youth, which creates a safe place for young LGBT people in Charlotte (http://www.timeoutyouth.org) and the Equal Justice Initiative, a civil rights campaigning group based in Alabama (http://www.eji.org).
Thanks also go to Grayson and Tina at NC Needs You (http://www.ncneedsyou.com) for their sage advice. Stay tuned for future announcements relating to the Gentlemen Of The Road Fund.
Unlike other high-profile artists who have canceled shows in North Carolina over the state’s so-called “bathroom law,” Mumford and Sons announced two weeks ago it would move ahead with a planned concert.
The band wrote in a statement on April 13th:
Dear friends,
We will be playing a show tomorrow in Charlotte, and recent events in North Carolina have got us talking a lot as a band the last few days, so we felt compelled to say something in advance to you.
As a band that relishes welcoming everyone to our shows and promoting tolerance, we do want to take a stand with the people of North Carolina who this week are shouting loudly against intolerance, fear and discrimination.
Over the years we’ve looked for ways to contribute to the vitality of local communities and, in that spirit, we’re now creating a charitable fund to support those who have made it their mission to pursue love and justice. We will be donating all of our profits from this show to this new fund. And we will start by making a donation from it to a local LGBTQ organisation.
Mumford and Sons concluded: “As always, we will open the doors to our show to anyone who wants to come, and are excited to get down with the people of Charlotte.”
On Saturday’s Mumford and Sons Facebook post declaring the band would donate to charities fighting for “social justice,” one commenter wrote: does “fighting for social justice mean fighting for opinions that differ from yours?”
Another fan of the band’s page added: “Oh. Ok. How’s that pancreatic cancer thing coming along? Maybe juvenile diabetes? No, no, it’s good that you’re concerned about bathrooms.”