YouTube Pride 2021 Adds New Additions
YouTube Originals today revealed major additions to “YouTube Pride 2021,” a multi-hour, star-studded livestream event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community on Friday, June 25. The virtual celebration will feature celebrity emcees Demi Lovato, Olly Alexander with Mawaan Rizwan, Trixie Mattel, and Daniel Howell each hosting their Pride party from their respective YouTube channels. Throughout musical performances, giving challenges, special guests, live moments and much more, viewers will be encouraged to help the LGBTQ+ community by raising funds for the The Trevor Project in the US and akt in the UK.
The multi-talented entertainers will each host an hour-long segment of “YouTube Pride 2021,” creating a seamless, back-to-back celebration for viewers looking to join Pride Month festivities from home. Special guest Tyler Oakley will also join the list of previously announced talent including Kim Chi, Monét X Change, Peppermint, and Denali Foxx who will join the hosts throughout the live-streamed event.
YouTube also recently launched the #GiveWithPride challenge, a donation campaign that aims to raise $500,000 for The Trevor Project, an organization committed to providing support, resources and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. Throughout Pride Month, YouTube creators will encourage their subscribers to donate via YouTube’s donate feature with the promise of posting a highly anticipated stunt video to their channel if the goal is met (think: bleaching hair, recreating viral dance videos, or getting a tattoo). To help reach the goal, during the month of June, YouTube is matching any donations made to the “Give With Pride” campaign up to $250,000. Select creators including PatrickStarr, Gigi Gorgeous, Elle of the Mills, The Fitness Marshall, Jackson Bird, Alannized, Jessie Paege, KingOfReads, and Jade Fox are set to air their stunt video during “YouTube Pride 2021” if the fundraising goal is met.
In the U.K., YouTube will partner with creators such as Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Jamie Raines, and Shaaba for a U.K.-based “Give With Pride” challenge in support of akt, a charity supporting LGBTQ+ youth who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.
This virtual Pride special will also incorporate the larger LGBTQ+ community with viewer submissions. Producers at JA Films have created a microsite with a Call To Action asking users and creators to submit video content sharing stories of pride, questions for the hosts and more. Select responses will then be featured throughout the stream on June 25.
“YouTube Pride 2021” is sponsored by Levi’s® and State Farm in the US.
In addition to the YouTube Originals livestreamed event, YouTube’s month-long celebration of the LGBTQ+ community includes a homepage playlist featuring uplifting content with bold and brave conversations from creators sharing their personal journeys to self acceptance. YouTube Music is also offering a “Celebrating Pride” playlist which includes music from both iconic and up-and-coming artists, while YouTube Gaming will host a live Minecraft competition later in the month featuring creators from around the world with the goal of bringing awareness to mental health issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
About YouTube Originals
YouTube Originals are award-winning, creative and engaging scripted and unscripted series and films across music, personalities and learning for fans all over the world. Spotlighting both YouTube creators alongside Hollywood’s biggest stars, YouTube Originals provide an experience that only YouTube can offer. By tapping into the platform’s growing global community, fan engagement product capabilities, and innovative content mixed with pioneering live-streamed specials, there is truly something for everybody. Fans experience YouTube Original content through ad-supported YouTube as well as YouTube Premium, a subscription service that offers access to YouTube Original series and movies, a streaming music platform, and an uninterrupted, ad-free experience across all of YouTube. YouTube Originals are available in nearly 80 countries worldwide.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386 via chat TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678678.
About akt
akt is the national lgbtq+ youth homelessness charity, providing safe homes and better futures for lgbtq+ young people. Almost one quarter of all young people facing or experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+, and 77 per cent of those cite rejection or abuse from their families as what has led them to being so. The charity was set up in Manchester in 1989 by straight ally and former foster carer Cath Hall, and a group of founding members, and has since opened its doors in London, Newcastle and Bristol. In just over 30 years, akt has provided over 250,000 nights off the street and supported over 50,000 lgbtq+ young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
About JA Films
JA Films is an award winning production company with a global reputation for excellence and integrity when creating feature documentaries, concert films and content for some of the worlds most iconic artists and broadcast platforms. JA Films prides itself on many years of working with the best directors, production teams, creatives and technicians in the industry, a mighty force of skilled people that they bring to each production. JA Films is based in the UK but has the capacity to film anywhere in the world and has produced films and content for Adele, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Kylie, Mumford & Sons and Coldplay including the critically acclaimed Coldplay Live In Jordan, a beautifully filmed live to air sunrise and sunset performance for YouTube Originals. Included in the awards are two Grammy nominations in the Best Music Film category.