Barbra Streisand joined stars including Kesha, Billy Porter, Adam Lambert, Matt Bomer and Pete Buttigieg to support LGBT+ community centers.
The celebrities joined two hosts, the American comedian Billy Eichner and Canadian YouTube star Lilly Singh via video link.
“Hi everyone, it's Barbra Streisand and I am so thrilled that GLAAD's Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone event is happening tonight to raise much-needed funds to support local LGBTQ community centers all over the country who are being seriously affected by COVID-19,” she said.
“If these community centers had to close their doors that means that LGBTQ kids may not have a meal, it means they may not have a place to go and it also means they won't have the support that so many of these facilities need to help them find a job and be successful,” Streisand continued. “I know that times are tough but I really hope you'll help save theses organizations … give as you can, every bit helps.”
Bomer spoke about coming out as well as his current experiences living in isolation with his family amid the coronavirus pandemic; he's married to publicist Simon Halls, and the couple have three children.
“It's been a period of adjustment,” he said. “I feel for all parents and kids, dealing with academic and emotional needs.”
While Lambert, who came out in 2009, noted how much has changed in the past 10-plus years. He made headlines in that same year when when he kissed another man during a performance at the American Music Awards.
“I kissed a guy for three seconds and the industry went crazy,” Lambert said during the event. “The next day I had to apologize. … I tell that story to somebody now who has not heard about it, and they are shocked: ‘Really?' A lot has changed in 10 years.
He added that “it definitely taught me a lot very quickly; it taught me what my boundaries were publicly.”
And the public rallied round to raise an initial donation of $225,000. The money will go to CenterLink and local LGBT+ centers suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big names including Rosie O’Donnell, Wilson Cruz, Bebe Rexha, August Getty, Gigi Gorgeous & Nats Getty, Sean Hayes, Dan Levy, Brian Michael Smith, also joined the hosts.
Meanwhile, Melissa Etheridge, Mj Rodriguez & George Salazar, Alex Newell, and the cast of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill provided special musical performances, alongside Kesha.
