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The 44th president will be part of a star-studded virtual fundraising event benefiting groups that provide sorely needed services to the LGBTQ+ community.
President Barack Obama will send a special message to the LGBTQ+ community Friday during a livestreamed event for Stonewall Day.
His message will be part of a virtual fundraising event for Trans Lifeline, Brave Space Alliance, TransLatin@Coalition, and the Ally Coalition, four LGBTQ+ organizations severely affected by COVID-19 and recent events highlighting the need for fair and equal treatment under the law for all.
Stonewall Day, launched in 2018 by social advocacy and community engagement group Pride Live, is a global campaign to elevate awareness and support for the legacy of the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the continuing fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. This year, the third annual Stonewall Day will offer support to the Black Lives Matter movement and address LGBTQ+ issues including the dangerous rise of violence facing transgender women, especially Black trans women.
Friday's event, presented in partnership with WarnerMedia, Nasdaq, and Pride Media, will stream from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern on Logo's YouTube and Facebook pages. In addition to Obama, guests and performers will include Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Cynthia Erivo, Kesha, Hayley Kiyoko, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Christian Siriano, George Takei, Donatella Versace, Lilly Wachowski, Sir Richard Branson, Jonny Beauchamp, Valentina Sampaio, Dustin Lance Black, Blossom C. Brown, Chelsea Clinton, Luke Evans, Valerie Jarrett, Stella Maxwell, Imara Jones, Bethany C. Meyers, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Justin Tranter, Josephen Skriver, Kellen Stancil, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Nico Tortorella, Alok Vaid-Menon, Chely Wright, and Conchita Wurst, plus Stonewall Day National Chair Geena Rocero, a trans model and advocate, and Pride Live Board President Dr. Yvette C. Burton.
"COVID-19, and the recent events that have placed a national and global spotlight on the need for fair and equal treatment for all people, has impacted so many around the world, and the LGBTQ+ community has not been immune," Burton said in a press release. "This has resulted in vital and lifesaving LGBTQ+ organizations having to severely amend their budgets and programs. Our hopes are Stonewall Day can assist our beneficiaries in continuing their work and service to the community."
"From Marsha P. Johnson's revolution at Stonewall, to the recent murders of Dominique Fells and Riah Milton, the protection of trans people of color continues to be the litmus test of freedom and equal opportunities," Burton added. She noted that this population has been affected by the Trump administration's revocation of protections against discrimination in health care, a disproportionate rate of fatal violence, and "the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia across communities and families."
The event will raise funds for its beneficiaries through a Text2Give campaign. Text REBEL to 243725 to donate to the Pride Live Stonewall Day fund, and when prompted, reply YES to confirm the donation.
About this year's beneficiaries:
Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive, through a peer-support hotline and microgrants. Due to the pandemic, its services are needed more than ever as trans people face isolation and economic insecurity.
Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ center located on the south side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the south and west sides of the city.
The TransLatin@ Coalition's sole purpose is to address the unique and specific challenges and needs of trans Latinas who live in the United States, and it has done advocacy work across the nation to assure their voices are heard.
The Ally Coalition provides critical support for grassroots nonprofit organizations dedicated to bettering the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.
WarnerMedia is the lead presenting partner for Stonewall Day. "At WarnerMedia, we believe in the power of telling stories that accurately reflect the world that we live in," Dennis Williams, senior vice president for corporate social responsibility, said in the Stonewall Day press release. "Now, more than ever, we recognize the significance of standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community as well as the deep connection between the rebellion that started at Stonewall in 1969 connected to LGBTQ+ justice and police brutality, and the movement we see on the streets today as people demand an end to repeated brutality and systemic oppression."
Pride Media is the lead LGBTQ+ media partner for Stonewall Day, and GLAAD returns for the second consecutive year leading all press and media outreach. Nasdaq will host the livestream at its Times Square headquarters in New York City. The event has been supported online and in the media by Stonewall Day Ambassadors, a collective of activists, artists, business leaders, influencers, and celebrities led by Nelson Griggs, president of Nasdaq.
There will also be a Stonewall Day Virtual Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific, hosted by Stoli Vodka and the Abbey in West Hollywood. Find event details here.
Follow Pride Live on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates, and join the conversation on social media by tagging Pride Live's handles and using the hashtag #StonewallDay.
