Camila Cabello, Equality Florida, Lambda Legal Launch $500,000 Fund to Challenge Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law

Jem Aswad
·3 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Camila Cabello will host a benefit concert on Sunday, May 8, to announce the launch of her “Protect Our Kids” Fund.

This emergency fund, established in partnership with Equality Florida and Lambda Legal to protect students and families from Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, will also provide resources to impacted students, teachers, and families. The launch event will be held at private venue in West Hollywood and will also include special performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Valentina, transgender singer Shea Diamond and a local youth choir.

More from Variety

“As someone who grew up and still lives in Florida, I am appalled that my home state is putting the health and lives of young Floridians at risk by passing this law and inviting discrimination into our schools. We must protect every student and respect every family,” said Cabello. “I am so grateful to all of our founding partners who are standing in solidarity with LGBTQ youth and families and raising money for the Protect All Kids Fund to help Lambda Legal and Equality Florida stop this hateful law.”

The fund was launched with broad support across industries. With lead support from Starbucks, other founding chairs include Amazon Music, Berlanti Family Foundation, “Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman, the Ron Conway Family, David Geffen Foundation, Levi Strauss & Co, Nordstrom, Inc., Propper Daley, Jeff Klein and John Goldwyn, Ryan Murphy, Lalo Tequila, and William Morris Endeavor (WME). Other founding members include Lance Bass, Casey Bloys, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Justin Mikita and Sara Gilbert.

Additionally, with the support of Daniel Arison Dorsman of the Ted Arison Family Foundation, Lambda Legal has set up special hotlines for students, teachers, and parents who’ve been harmed under the law where experts will provide critical help and resources to them. If any student, parent or teacher has experienced discrimination or know someone who has, they can call one of these numbers. These hotlines are staffed by attorneys, who are available during office hours and by voicemail on nights and weekends, so all calls are safe and confidential. Those hotlines include:

833-I-SAY-GAY

833-SAY-TGNC

833-LGBTQLAW

Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, said, “This law emboldens a small, angry cadre of anti-LGBTQ adults to intimidate school districts and incentivizes them to sue for $10,000 no matter how frivolous or extreme their claims. As a parent I believe our laws must ensure our children’s safety, protection, and freedom.”

On March 28, Governor DeSantis officially signed the unconstitutional “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The law effectively erases LGBTQ students, LGBTQ parents, and LGBTQ history by ambiguously banning “classroom instruction” about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades or at any level “in a manner that is not age-appropriate.” At least 7 states have introduced similar bills, and Alabama has joined Florida by passing just such a bill into law.

Those who would like to learn more about Protect Our Kids Fund can head here.

Just last night, Cabello was honored at Variety‘s Power of Women event in New York for her work with the Movement Voter Fund to launch the Healing Justice Project. Alongside fellow honorees Drew Barrymore, Kim Cattrall, Queen Latifah and Amanda Seyfried, Cabello took to the white carpet ahead of the event and used the opportunity to talk about the ongoing debate over abortion rights.

“It’s atrocious,” said Cabello. “Obviously it’s going to affect poor women the most, because women that have resources — even like me — will be able to handle things if they’re needed. The idea of having one moment transform the course of a woman’s life is tragic. And it’s tragic [that] the people affected are not having a say.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.