Bandcamp is donating its daily profits to fight Donald Trump’s transgender ban
Multi-million dollar music platform Bandcamp has pledged to donate all its proceeds from one day to fight Donald Trump’s transgender military ban.
The ban, announced last week by Trump in three tweets, sparked outrage from LGBT people across the world and was condemned by everyone from former Vice President Joe Biden to acting star Laverne Cox.
The positions of more than 15,000 trans people in the military are now in immediate danger.
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But on Friday, Bandcamp will fight back by giving 100 percent of its revenues to the Transgender Law Centre, a trans civil rights group.
According to the company, its users have paid artists $231 million using the service – including $5.2 million in the last 30 days.
This averages out to $20,000 a day in revenues for Bandcamp, after it takes about 12 percent of the overall amount spent – but there’s good reason to believe fans will greatly outstrip this.
After all, the music service held a similar flash fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union in February, after Trump tried to institute his Muslim ban for the first time.
The campaign raised more than $120,000 for the ACLU, as music fans passed the $1 million mark with their spending.
In a statement, Bandcamp said that it was “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 marginalised.
“This includes the current US administration, and its recent capricious declaration that transgender troops will no longer be able to serve in the military.”
Bandcamp was further motivated by the horrifying prospect of the $2.4 to $8.4 million which would be saved by the transphobic ban going towards building a wall on the US-Mexico border.
“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 statement read.
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“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 Centre, a nonprofit organisation that works tirelessly to change law, policy, and culture for the more equitable.”
Transgender Navy SEAL Team 6 member Kristin Beck, who served for 20 years in the unit whose troops killed Osama bin Laden, challenged Trump to tell her that she was “not worthy” to her face.
The ban was announced despite the revelation that the Pentagon spends 10 times more on erectile dysfunction medication than it would on trans medical expenses.
The American Civil Liberties Union vowed to fight back against Trump’s decision by representing anyone affected by the ban.
And former Vice President Joe Biden said: “Every patriotic American who is qualified to serve in our military should be able to serve. Full stop.”
