The Lumineers will donate proceeds from their NC show to support LGBT rights

In a post on their website made on May 12, The Lumineers published their intention to forward the proceeds of their upcoming North Carolina show to EqualityNC and The Human Rights Campaign, both of which are organizations that support LGBT rights.

The post includes the following information about the September 15 show:

“1 – All of the profits from our performance at Koka Booth Amphitheater will be donated to EqualityNC and The HRC.

2 – We will provide gender neutral bathrooms at the Amphitheater.

3 – EqualityNC and The HRC will be on site collecting donations and passing out information on what you can do to help fight this discriminatory bill.

4 – A specialty T shirt will be on sale – the proceeds of which will go to Equality NC and The HRC.”

This announcement comes on the heels of the passing of House Bill 2, a bill which erased sexual orientation and gender identity from already-established anti-discrimination laws. In the post (the full length of which can be read here), The Lumineers expressed their support for “a full repeal of this law”.

Many musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, and Jimmy Buffett have cancelled their North Carolina shows to show solidarity for the LGBT community, but the Colorado folk band have chosen a different path by continuing to play the show.

The support of LGBT-friendly organizations and the providing of gender neutral bathrooms is intended to make their fans “feel safe and welcome at our shows,” according to the post. The use of gender-neutral bathrooms is particularly controversial amidst the Target bathroom controversy, in which Target announced that customers were permitted to use whichever bathroom suited their gender identity. This controversy caused significant backlash, and many former customers are now boycotting the store as a result.

Representatives from EqualityNC and The HRC will be present at the show to provide information on how to take action against HB-2. The Lumineers also encouraged their fans to research both organizations and the bill to learn more about the law and its repercussions.