A large collection of Hollywood stars including Charlize Theron, Melissa McCarthy, and Sarah Silverman have been slated to appear in an upcoming telethon to support LGBTQ groups facing what they see as society’s “demonization of drag culture.”
The live telethon, titled “Drag Isn’t Dangerous,” is a joint Hollywood and LGBTQ event featuring celebrity appearances and performances from drag queens, with the goal of raising money for several major LGBTQ groups.
Among the groups looking to benefit are Black Queer Town Hall, GLAAD, Trixie Cosmetics, OUTtv and SERV Vodka.
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American drag queen Trixie Mattel records an episode of “The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo” onstage during Moontower Just For Laughs at the Paramount Theatre on April 13, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)
These gay advocacy groups have partnered with Producer Entertainment Group (PEG) to incorporate Hollywood talent into the event. Additionally, the long list of stars that will make appearance event include Idina Menzel, Jesse Eisenberg, Elizabeth Banks and many others.
In a recent statement, Eisenberg voiced his personal support for drag queens and the telethon, saying, “The recent demonization of drag culture has been greatly upsetting and completely shocking to me. I have had the pleasure of getting to know many drag performers, including one of my idols, the incomparable Trixie Mattel, over the past several years.”
The goal of “Drag Isn’t Dangerous,” which airs this Sunday, is to raise funds that will supposedly help these LGBTQ groups survive the wave of stigma against drag queens they believe is being harnessed by right wing Christians.
Specifically the event is raising money to combat bills being pushed in red states like Tennessee and Texas to regulate drag performances in public areas so that minors are not exposed to them.
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Charlize Theron attends Universal Pictures “F9” World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
The bills represent conservative backlash to the growing trend of drag queens performing in front of children as well as the Drag Queen Story Hour trend.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, PEG co-founder Jacob Slane claimed, “We are sick of it. These bans are not just about trans people or drag performers. It is a systematic subjugation of LGBTQ people.”
He added, “Through the Drag Isn’t Dangerous campaign, we want to show that drag performers are not dangerous groomers, sexual deviants, criminals or whatever is the latest evangelical slur du jour. We want to raise awareness and funds to make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ people who are under attack.”
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The show airs Sunday at 7 PM Eastern Time on dragisntdangerous.com. It will be co-hosted by drag queen “Peppermint” and comedian Justin Martindale.
A Drag Queen performs at the Aqua Club and bar in Florida which features nightly drag shows. (Paul Harris/Getty Images)