Dave Matthews Band to Donate Proceeds of N.C. Show to LGBT Organizations

The Dave Matthews Band will not be canceling its concert set for Friday in Charlotte, N.C., but will be donating part of the proceeds to LGBT-supportive organizations to protest House Bill 2.

In a statement posted to their website on Tuesday, band members announced that they worked with NC Needs You, an organization that encourages artists to donate show proceeds to local organizations instead of boycotting the state because of HB 2, to locate groups that could benefit from the concert.

HB 2 prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms or locker rooms (in government buildings) that match their gender identity. HB 2, introduced and signed into law in less than 12 hours during a special legislative session on March 23, also rescinds all existing LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances, prohibits new ones, bars residents from suing for discrimination in state court, and bars cities from setting a minimum wage higher than the state's.

The rock group will be donating a portion of its proceeds from the show to local and national organizations: the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, ACLU of North Carolina, Equality North Carolina, and Time Out Youth.

The San Francisco 49ers called for a repeal of HB 2 earlier today. HB 2 has created a loss in business for the state, and the federal government recently filed a lawsuit against the state because the measure discriminates against LGBT people. Entertainers such as Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, and Demi Lovato have canceled shows in North Carolina to protest the anti-LGBT law.