C R
Squire
Green Day found themselves in a sort of similar situation. When they were just breaking into the mainstream they risked being barred by venues by insisting on taking an openly gay band as their opening act. This was early 90s, and being openly gay wasn't a thing to be taken lightly.
https://www.thethings.com/green-day...sisting-pansy-division-open-for-them-on-tour/
They took a much bigger risk at the time than Sheeran would have taken standing by Macklemore.