UPDATE: Bandcamp gave an update with the following – With a few hours left to go (the party ends at midnight PST), we estimate that fans will have bought nearly $700,000 worth of music today. All of our share of that (~12%) goes directly to TLC. The remainder goes to the labels and artists, many of whom will be donating their share of sales as well.
The legends over at Bandcamp have announced that this Friday, August 4, they will donate 100% of their share of profits from sales made between 12:00am-11:59pm PST (Pacific Standard Time)* to the Transgender Law Center.
The fundraiser comes in response to Donald Trump’s recent abrupt declaration that he intends to ban transgender troops from serving in the US military.
Bandcamp will be donating all profits made on Friday August 4th to the Transgender Law Center in response to Trump’s transgender military ban.
“Bandcamp is a platform for artistic expression, and all manner of variance in experience and identity,” said Banpcamp in statement, “including gender and sexuality, is welcome here. We support our LGBT+ users and staff, and we stand against any person or group that would see them further marginalized.
This includes the current U.S. administration, and its recent capricious declaration that transgender troops will no longer be able to serve in the military. That this announcement was motivated in part to help fund the border wall exposes it as part of the administration’s cynical, discriminatory agenda.”
The Transgender Law Center is a non-profit that seeks to “change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression”, based in the US.
They recently issued their own statement in reaction to Trump’s declaration, which you can read here.
Back in February, Bandcamp held a similar fundraiser in response to Trump’s absurd Muslim ban.
As they reported, their efforts, and those of their supporters, helped the platform sell $1 million worth of music, which was 550% more than a normal Friday. Roughly 12% of this (Bandcamp’s usual cut) went to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) to bolster their cause.
Head over to Bandcamp to start scoping all that music and merch you’re going to buy.
* Head here to calculate what time this will be in your part of Australia.