British singer-songwriter Elton John and his husband, Canadian film producer David Furnish, will join the pool of hosts at “YouTube Pride 2021,” announced YouTube Originals on Monday. The six-hour livestream, taking place June 25th starting 12pm PST, will benefit several organizations that advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
John, who is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, has been openly gay since 1988. He began dating Furnish, who produced John’s biopic Rocketman and is co-chief of Rocket Pictures with John, in 1993. The couple entered into a civil partnership in 2005 and got married in 2014 after same-sex marriage became legal in England.
The other LGBTQ+ figures hosting the event are:
American singer, songwriter and actor Demi Lovato, who rose to fame as a child actor on Disney Channel and has since built a massively successful music career. They have become more open about their LGBTQ+ identity this year, labelling themself as pansexual and non-binary.
American television personality and drag queen Trixie Mattel, who won the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. She runs her own YouTube channel and is the CEO and founder of Trixie Cosmetics.
British YouTuber and author Daniel Howell, who is most known for his YouTube channel, formerly known as danisnotonfire. He came out as gay and queer in 2019.
British singer-songwriter and LGBTQ+ activist Olly Alexander, known for his solo project Years & Years. Alexander is gay and has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, focusing heavily on mental health.
Pakistani-British actor and comedian Mawaan Rizwan, who started out on YouTube and has since performed stand-up comedy and acted in television and film. Rizwan is gay.
The livestream, sponsored by Levi’s and State Farm, will feature musical performances, challenges and special appearances by other LGBTQ+ figures such as YouTuber Tyler Oakley, model Munroe Bergdorf and YouTuber and singer-songwriter Jessie Paege.
Submissions from viewers in the form of short videos and questions for the hosts are also being taken at this link. Selected responses will play throughout the stream.
The organizations the event will benefit are:
The Elton John AIDS Foundation, started by John in 1992, works to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and provide support for the HIV-positive. HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the disease caused by HIV, has been known to disproportionately affect gay and bisexual men, and there are examples worldwide of discrimination against the HIV-positive.
The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 and was named for the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, which depicts a young boy who attempts to take his own life due to the stigma surrounding his sexuality. This organization specifically focuses on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
akt was created in 1989 to support LGBTQ+ youth who are facing homelessness in England.
Watch the trailer for “YouTube Pride 2021” here:
