Moogfest Plans Protest Stage to Resist ‘Bathroom Bill,’ Immigration Ban
In response to the North Carolina state legislature’s failure to repeal the infamous, discriminatory “Bathroom Bill” (HB2) and President Trump‘s recent executive order temporarily restricting immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries, the 2017 edition of Moogfest will incorporate a protest stage.
“As we prepare for the 2017 festival, we are faced with new and mounting concerns,” festival organizers said in a statement. “Lawmakers in Texas and Kansas have taken steps toward enacting laws similar to HB2. And in his first few days in office, the 45th president has taken actions, such as the travel ban, that threaten our foundational beliefs and intimidate members of our diverse global network of thinkers and makers.”
As a result, Moogfest will incorporate an explicitly political element into the event this year. “We are alive in our mission to bring the dream of a more equal society to all humans,” the organizers’ statement continues. “We will stand in full accord with artists from various communities to collectively celebrate inclusivity and elevate the fight against discrimination here in North Carolina and across the world.”
The protest stage will be “a dedicated space for resistance,” and protest will also be the subject of workshops, art installations, masterclasses and discussions. Artists for this stage have not yet been announced.
The festival also encouraged citizens to donate to the ACLU and contact their local government officials to register their opposition to discriminatory legislation.
Moogfest is scheduled to take place May 18th through 21st in Durham, North Carolina and will feature performances by Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner, Stranger Things composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of Survive and Nona Hendryx.