Actress Marcia Gay Harden revealed “my children are all queer” on Sunday as she took the stage with celebrity allies of the queer community in the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon to raise money to combat what they say is rising anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The Hollywood Reporter sets out Harden shared the news with event co-host Adam Shankman (director of Disenchanted and Hairspray) to make public her reasons for supporting the cause.
“What drives me is because it’s right and what’s happening right now is wrong,” the So Help Me Todd star explained. “What drives me is — my children are all queer. My eldest child is non-binary. My son is gay. My youngest is fluid.
“And you know, they are my kids and they teach me every day.”
Jinkx Monsoon attends the Producer Entertainment Group telethon of “Drag Isn’t Dangerous” on May 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Araya Doheny/Getty Images)
Speaking about recent LGBTQ legislation, the Oscar-winning actress added, “This is so fear-based and it’s spreading that kind of fear and hatred among other people. I believe this country will fight that.”
The four-hour livestream event was designed to be a celebration of all things drag and reportedly delivered more than $500,000 from 5,000 individual donors.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the night’s lineup included a who’s who of the dragocracy, from Jinkx Monsoon (who had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Movie and TV Awards before the live telecast was cancelled), Trixie Mattel and Ginger Minj to Candis Cayne, Laganja Estranja and Sherry Vine.
Ginger Minj attends the Producer Entertainment Group telethon of “Drag Isn’t Dangerous” on May 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Araya Doheny/Getty Images)
Many of those named took calls calls from donors during the telethon.
The livestream included segments in which drag performers talked about how doing drag changed their lives.
Organisers said “the recent demonization of drag culture has been greatly upsetting and completely shocking” which is why they wanted to step out of the shadows and show the world their gender orientation.