Ex-Grateful Dead Members to Play NC Show to Boost Transgender Rights

The band Dead & Company, comprised of three former members of the Grateful Dead, said Thursday it will play a show in North Carolina and donate money to groups that support equal rights for transgender people.

The band posted a statement on its Facebook page in response to the state's law that forces transgenders to use public bathrooms and locker rooms that match the gender they were born with.

"This March, when North Carolina lawmakers passed HB2 and Governor Pat McCrory signed it into law, we categorically objected to it. We had hoped that by now this abhorrent law would have been repealed. Sadly, it has not," the statement reads.

"After much thought, consideration and conversation, we feel the most effective way to move forward is to perform as scheduled in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 10 and to donate $100,000.00 to organizations engaged in this battle for justice — the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina."

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