Drag Isn't Dangerous: A Digital Fundraiser is acharitylivestreamtelethon organized by theProducer Entertainment Group, that was held on May 7, 2023, from 7:00pm to 11:30pm (EDT). It was aimed to raise awareness that supports drag and trans organizations. The telethon was hosted by comedianJustin Martindale and drag performerPeppermint, and featured many prominent celebrities and drag performers.
The telethon event lasted for 270 minutes and raised over US$523,000; all the proceeds went to severalLGBTQ+ organizations, includingGLAAD,GLSEN, and theACLU Drag Defense Fund. A charity single was also released, performed by Jayelle and Ocean Kelly.
TheTennessee Adult Entertainment Bill was introduced inTennessee in late February 2023, which bans public "adult cabaret performance" in front of children in the state of Tennessee.[1] This bill was marked as "vague" and "authoritarian" in what it considers an "adult cabaret performance" although it defines it as a "male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest."[2]
In March 2023,Producer Entertainment Group co-partnered with Black Queer Town Hall to create a telethon campaign named,Drag Isn't Dangerous, with several companies and organizations co-presenting it.[12] They planned the telethon event to "raise awareness and funds for LGBTQ+ causes and organizations that support drag and trans performers".[13]
The campaign event premiered on May 7, 2023, at 4:00pm (PDT).[14] Online tickets were made available after the online telethon was announced for $20 via the livestreaming service Moment.[15] An official pre-show fundraiser was later set up for people to donate, through Tiltify. Campaign merch was also released to the public, with all proceeds going to the telethon.[16]
In mid-April, many actors and comedians such asMargaret Cho,Leslie Jones,Ts Madison,Amy Schumer, andCharlize Theron, signed up for the telethon event.[19][20] Throughout the telethon's social media, they revealed an official line-up of the event with over one-hundred participants.[21] Jacob Slane mentioned in aBroadwayWorld article, Matt Weaver was the co-executive producer of the telethon.[22]
The show began at 7:00 pmEDT. The telethon consisted of musical performances, pre-taped appearances, speeches, conversations between celebrity operators and donors calling in, and comedic skits.[26]
A charity single was released on the same day as the telethon premiere, May 7, titled "Drag Isn't Dangerous" (2023). The single is performed by Jayelle and Ocean Kelly, written byAshley Gordon,Drew Louis, and Ocean Kelly, and produced byDrew Louis. All the revenue from the song's downloads will be donated to the telethon.[27]
List of singles, with selected details, showing year released
Thanks to your generosity we were able to raise over half a million dollars for the Drag Isn't Dangerous fund to gift our beneficiaries to combat this rash of harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.
Jacob Slane and David Charpentier, crediting people who donated to the telethon.[29]
At the end of the telethon event, their official GoFundMe campaign received over $523,000, including the ticket sale made from Moment.[30] Trixie Mattel andKatya Zamolodchikova announced that "they'll host a livestream of the final night" of their tour, Trixie and Katya Live: The Last Show (2023),[31] a portion of their funds will be donated to the telethon's campaign.[32] All of the proceeds is set to be donated to "GLAAD,GLSEN,HeadCount, Black Queer Town Hall," and others.[33][34]
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