If you were one of the thousands in attendance at the Fun. concert last week, these may not be the lyrics that still ring in your ears: “I’ve got friends locked in boxes, that’s no way to live; what you call a sin isn’t up to them.” But maybe they should be.
   In the excitement of buying a ticket, many people neglected the statement at the bottom of the web page that said that “$1 of the service fee of each ticket will go to the band’s charitable foundation, The Ally Coalition.”
    In case you didn’t see the disclaimer or didn’t go to the concert at all, The Ally Coalition was formed by the members of Fun. and designer Rachel Antonoff. Its mission is to aid and encourage people from every walk of life to use their voices to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community.
    Even if you didn’t see the disclaimer, it was nearly impossible to miss the “equality village” set up outside of Humphrey Coliseum on your way in to the concert. If you walked by without noticing, it consisted of a tent set up for people to stop by to learn about LGBTQ issues and take action against discrimination.
    As I purchased my ticket  —and even entered a raffle for better seats — I knew that part of my money would support LGBTQ rights. However, many other attendees and non-concert goers were completely unaware of what they supported. Others opted to make other plans for the night in fear that attending the concert would mean they support equality.
   Honestly, the number of people who like the band, but decided against attendence because of its association with The Ally Coalition astounds me. However, the fact that many people who stand against such rights attended the concert knowing that Fun. supports LGBTQ right — and not caring — was also shocking.
    I believe that all of us have basic human rights. It’s your right to believe in something or stand against it. I believe in the equality of life that Fun. promotes. I believe that everyone should be afforded basic human rights. But I also believe that everyone should enjoy live music from bands that they listen to — regardless of what that band supports.
   Avoiding an issue doesn’t make it go away. Ignoring the fact that someone is a member of the LGBTQ community doesn’t make that person straight. Going to a concert that puts a percentage of its proceeds toward equality doesn’t mean you support equality. It means you support the live music of a band that you enjoy listening to.