On April 26, GLAAD hosted a digital event to highlight the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 and to raise money for CenterLink and local LGBTQ centers affected by COVID-19.
"Together in Pride: You are Not Alone", hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, brought the LGBTQ community together with messages of acceptance and honored LGBTQ heroes providing direct services during COVID-19. The event raised an initial donation of more than $225,000 for the LGBTQ community centers that are members of CenterLink. ( Donations are still being accepted at GLAAD.org/togetherinpride. ) The Ariadne Getty Foundation ( AGF ), GLAAD's largest donor, made a donation of $150,000 to the event.
Hosts Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh interviewed LGBTQ notables throughout the event, which also featured several musical performances from talent including Kesha, Melissa Etheridge, Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar, Alex Newell and the cast of Broadway's Jagged Little Pill.
Participants included Barbra Streisand, Billy Porter, Mayor Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, Rosie O'Donnell, Matt Bomer, Wilson Cruz, August Getty, Gigi Gorgeous and Nats Getty, Sean Hayes, Adam Lambert, Dan Levy, Tatiana Maslany, Ross Mathews, Javier Munoz, Tyler Oakley, D.J. Shangela Pierce, Bebe Rexha, Brian Michael Smith, Patrick Starrr, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Van Ness, Michelle Visage, and GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
Highlights included Eichner interviewing the Buttigiegs about the election; Van Ness talking with Singh about breaking down stigma around living with HIV; Oakley and Cruz interviewing the executive directors of local LGBTQ centers who are offering front-line/direct services to LGBTQ people in need a special message from Streisand to the LGBTQ community.
Actor/producer Erich Bergen directed the event and was an executive producer with GLAAD staff.
Official media partners included Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, Los Angeles Blade, LGBTQ Nation, Logo, Metro Weekly, NBC Out, People, Pride Media ( Advocate, Out, Pride.com, PLUS ), Queerty, The Randy Report, them, Thomson Reuters Foundation ( Openly ), Washington Blade and Windy City Times.
Also, GLAAD has launched a COVID-19 portal on its website, which provides the latest news updates, self-care tips, how-tos, stories of inspiration from LGBTQ leaders, and more to help the LGBTQ community through this unprecedented time. See GLAAD.org/publications/coronavirus-overview .
