Star report Leaders, pop stars plan Gay Pride event
World leaders, human rights activists, international musical acts and drag queens will participate in a 24-hour online celebration of gay pride organized after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation or postponement of hundreds of LGBTQ Pride events around the world, organizers announced Saturday. The event, which is scheduled for June 27, will feature remarks by Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg and President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica, which legalized same-sex marriage this past week. Planned appearances include singers Olivia Newton-john, Deborah Cox, Thelma Houston and Ava Max; drag performers Pabllo Vittar and Courtney Act; and musical acts including the Dixie Chicks, Bright Light Bright Light and Steve Grand. Additional musicians and bands performing in the event, which will be streamed on Youtube and the Global Pride website, will be announced throughout June, organizers said. “Every Pride organizer in the world can tell you a story of someone whose life changed when they visited Pride,” Kristine Garina, president of the European Pride Organizers Association, said in a statement. “And so, with so many Prides being canceled or postponed, as organizers we felt we had a responsibility to come together and deliver Pride online.” The organizers plan to include videos from regional LGBTQ Pride networks in the 24-hour livestream.