Mumford & Sons donating North Carolina gig proceeds to LGBTQ charity

Mumford & Sons are donating proceeds from their Thursday night (14Apr16) concert in North Carolina to charity as they prepare to press on with the gig.

The British rockers have opted to honour their scheduled show in the state, while others, like Ringo Starr and Bruce Springsteen, have scrapped gigs to protest recently-passed legislation, which forces transgender people to use gender-specific restrooms.

Starr has axed his upcoming gig in Cary on 18 June (16), while Springsteen pulled the plug on a gig in Greensboro at the weekend (10Apr16).

Meanwhile, transgender Against Me! rocker Laura Jane Grace and Cyndi Lauper have announced they will keep North Carolina dates on their upcoming tours, so they can protest the new law. Lauper also plans to hand over all proceeds from her show to a state charity fighting to overturn the legislation.

Now Mumford & Sons have offered up their thoughts on the matter, vowing to play their gig in Charlotte on Thursday, but place all proceeds in a newly-created charity fund, which will then be donated to a local organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Marcus Mumford and his bandmates write: "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."

Meanwhile, the rockers have been forced to postpone their upcoming concert in Indianapolis, Indiana on 23 April (16) by a day to accommodate the Indiana Pacers basketball team's playoff schedule.