By Matthew Lavietes
NEW YORK, June 13 (Openly) - Black actors, writers and musicians, including U.S. singer-songwriter Todrick Hall and actress Laverne Cox, will take part in a 24-hour online celebration of LGBT+ pride attended by world leaders, organisers announced on Saturday.
LGBT+ campaigners will work with founders of the Black Lives Matter movement to demand racial justice at the event on June 27, which was organised after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of hundreds of pride events around the world.
"Our (LGBT+) community knows well that we must confront hate and prejudice head-on," co-chair of the Global Pride organising committee, Natalie Thompson, said in a statement.
"We have been watching an epidemic of violence against trans people of color - mostly women - in the past decade and this larger discussion must be inclusive and all encompassing. All Black Lives Matter."
The announcement marked the latest attempt by LGBT+ advocates to highlight the struggles of black Americans amid global protests over policy brutality and racism.
Planned appearances in the virtual event include former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, artists Adam Lambert and Kesha, and drag performers Pabllo Vittar and Courtney Act.
Manvendra Singh Gohil, the first openly gay prince of India, is also expected to also deliver taped remarks.
The worldwide protests were triggered by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis policy custody after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
More than 500 pride organisations from around the world will contribute content for the event, a livestream on YouTube.
Some countries have began lifting lockdown measures, meaning some people may be able to watch the online celebration with friends or at bars.
Organisers are calling on viewers to follow local officials' health guidelines.
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LGBT+ Pride events turning focus to racial injustice in U.S.
(Reporting by Matthew Lavietes; Editing by Tom Finn. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Openly is an initiative of the Thomson Reuters Foundation dedicated to impartial coverage of LGBT+ issues from around the world.
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