US festival Moogfest plans a 'protest stage' for 2017
- PublishedMon, Feb 6, 2017, 20:49
- Words
- Share
- The festival will host a "dedicated space for resistance" to measures like North Carolina's controversial law repealing anti-discrimination protections.
- Moogfest will host a Protest Stage this year, in light of the ongoing fight over what the Durham, North Carolina festival describes as "discriminatory politics." North Carolina has become a flashpoint in a nationwide conversation about LGBT rights. Last year, the state's conservative legislature passed House Bill 2, which among other measures repealed anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The law has been hugely controversial—some companies have halted expansion plans in the state, while several major sports events (like this month's NBA All-Star Game) have been relocated. The local backlash was seen as helping lead the governor who signed the bill to defeat in his recent reelection bid. Moogfest has repeatedly condemned HB2 since its passage, and protest will be a major theme for the 2017 festival, taking place from May 18th through the 21st. Now, citing the proliferation of similar laws in other states, and some of President Trump's actions in his first weeks in office (he ordered a travel ban affecting seven majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East, which is being contested in federal court), Moogfest has announced plans for a protest stage this year. A "dedicated space for resistance," the stage will serve "to collectively celebrate inclusivity and elevate the fight against discrimination here in North Carolina and across the world." Its lineup will be announced in the coming weeks. Read Moogfest's statement here.
- Thu, May 18, 2017
Moogfest 2017
Peanut Butter Wolf, Suzi Analogue, Syrinx, K-HAND, VHVL, Wolf Eyes, Pharmakon, The Haxan Cloak, Elysia Crampton, Sudan Archives, Simian Mobile Disco, Shanti Celeste, Colleen, Laraaji, Visible Cloaks, Elon Katz, Baltra, Zola Jesus, King Britt, DJ Premier10