Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he would reverse former President Barack Obama's decision to allow transgender people to serve in the military. Trump claimed transgender military personnel cost the military too much in health care, though as of August 1, the United States Coast Guard made it clear they still support transgender members.
Come this Friday, Bandcamp has now announced it will donate 100% of its profits to the Transgender Law Center in retaliation against the current administration's decision.
Bandcamp is a platform for artistic expression, and all manner of variance in experience and identity, 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.
In response, we will be donating 100% of our share of every sale on Friday, August 4th (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time) to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to change law, policy, and culture for the more equitable. TLC does critical policy advocacy and litigation on multiple fronts, fights for healthcare for trans veterans, defends incarcerated trans people from abuse in prisons and detention centers, supports trans immigrants, and helps trans youth tell their stories and build communities.
When an Executive Order was issued earlier this year barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States, we held a wildly successful fundraiser for the ACLU. We hope you’ll join us in now doing the same in support of trans rights. To participate as a fan, simply purchase music through Bandcamp on Friday and we’ll donate our share of the sale to TLC. To participate as an artist or label, send some or all of your share of Friday’s sales directly to TLC here, and let us know your plan in the comments below so that we can help spread the word. Thank you!
Keep in mind this is 100% of Bandcamp's profits, and not your favorite band's profits or label's profits. Bandcamp skims a little off the top per purchase as a way to keep itself in business. So let's say hypothetically this was 5% of each purchase – most of your money will still reach the artist, but a portion will go to the Transgender Law Center.
If you're looking for some solid Bamdcamp tunes to spend your money on come Friday, you really ought to check out Metal Bandcamp.
