Many charities feature celebrity patrons who support and promote their aims – it’s one way of getting some attention to a cause.
Some of these celebrity supporters are obvious but some are more surprising, perhaps.
Check out the list below of the stars who are doing their bit to help promote LGBT causes and help LGBT people.
1. Sting – Elton John AIDS Foundation
Former lead singer of The Police, Sting is a noted patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Sting and his wife Trudie Styler have been supporters since the beginning of the foundation and are prominent at many of its events.
2. Jennifer Lopez – Human Rights Campaign
Jennifer Lopez is well known for her humanitarian work with the Lopez Family Foundation, but Lopez is also a documented patron of the Human Rights Campaign.
For her work with the campaign, she was given the Ally for Equality award in 2013.
3. Donatella Versace – Elton John AIDS Foundation
Italian fashion designer and business woman Donatella Versace is a well-established patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, collaborating on projects with Sir Elton throughout their twenty-year friendship.
in 2016, Donatella worked on a special project to raise funds for the charity’s work.
4. Jennifer Hudson (Human Rights Campaign)
The singer and actress has been notable in her support of the LGBT+ community, working with the Human Rights Campaign on their “Turn it up for Change” initiative.
The music video to her hit song “‘I Still Love You!” featured a gay couple getting married, in support of the successful campaign to bring marriage equality to every state in America.
Earlier this year, she performed at London’s G-A-Y bar to a captivated crowd.
5. Oprah Winfrey (GLAAD and Born this Way Foundation)
Television deity Oprah Winfrey is a noted supporter of GLAAD, vocalising her support for their annual Spirit Day, a day dedicated to tackling homophobic bullying in schools.
She has won multiple media awards from GLAAD due to her sensitive and timely content on LGBT+ issues.
In 2012, Winfrey helped launch the Born this Way Foundation with Lady Gaga, a charity aimed at improving the lives of teenagers, particularly LGBT+ teens.
Oprah has been an LGBT+ ally for many years, hosting a same-sex wedding in 1991.
6. Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Human Rights Campaign)
The Modern Family and Broadway star has supported the work of the Human Rights Campaign for many years and is a vocal supporter of marriage equality.
He donated $10,000 to early attempts for equal marriage in Australia.
In addition to his work with the Human Rights Campaign, Ferguson was named celebrity ambassador for the LGBT+ community by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
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