(Image from True Colors United website)
Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning icon and advocate Cyndi Lauper has announced the lineup for her 9th annual “Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays” benefit concert, presented by Marriott International and AEG. The concert’s proceeds will benefit Lauper’s True Colors United (TCU), a nonprofit whose mission is to prevent and end homelessness among LGBTQ youth.
The event will take place in Los Angeles for the first time ever at The Novo at L.A. Live on Dec. 10. Taking the stage with Lauper and her band this year will be a host of guests including Kesha, Billy Porter, Brandi Carlisle, Henry Rollins, Carol Leifer, Lily Tomlin, Margaret Cho, King Princess and more. Emmy-winner and TCU board member Carson Kressley will return as host.
“I’m really heartened and excited by the response I’ve gotten throughout the entertainment community,” says Lauper. “Home for the Holidays is known for always having a cool and eclectic mix of performers. The line-up so far? I mean, c’mon. Where else are you gonna see Billy Porter and Henry Rollins on the same bill! It’s going to be such a great night. Many of those who are not available to perform have offered such amazing items for auction. I’m so touched by the generosity we’ve received. More surprises to come soon.”
In support of Home for the Holidays, several other marquee musicians – Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Dua Lipa, Kacey Musgraves, RuPaul and Tegan and Sara, to name a few – are donating items and experiences to support the concert’s corresponding charitable auction that will also take place in December.
In America, up to 40% of the 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness in America are LGBTQ and, according to a recent study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. Among many other initiatives, Lauper, who co-founded the organization eleven years ago, has testified and helped secure funding in Congress for a new federal program that is working to finally bring an end to youth homelessness in over 70 communities nationwide.
Home for the Holidays sells out each year and has become a holiday tradition that gathers together a host of diverse talents for an important cause.
For more information on the benefit concert and TCU programs, visit TrueColorsUnited.org.
