New York dance-a-thon raises $500k for homeless LGBTQ+ youth
The inaugural Ali Forney Centre Dance-a-thon raised over $500,000 for LGBTQ+ homeless youth facing food insecurity. In an ‘immersive’ all-day experience, which included food, drink and of course, dancing, the centre raised money from 481 organisations, The dance-a-thon was titled “We Are Family” after the iconic Sister Sledge song, and also recognises the importance of chosen families for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, many of whom have been disowned by their families because of their sexuality or gender identity.
The dance-a-thon took place on 20th November, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and the organisers took special care to recognise and uplift transgender service users, as well as paying respects to transgender individuals who passed away.
This was especially poignant, the day after 5 people were shot in an LGBTQ+ venue in Colorado Springs. Two of the victims were transgender.