A livestream will be raising money for CenterLink.
The US cast of Queer as Folk are set to reunite to help raise money for CenterLink, a charity which provides services to LGBTQ people left vulnerable to coronavirus, such as the elderly, homeless and people with underlying health conditions.
The charity is turning to philanthropic events like this as current stay-at-home regulations across the world has led to the cancellation of many fundraisers and Pride events which usually raise money for it.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the event will be hosted by Scott Lowell, who played Ted Schmitt in the series. He will be joined by former co-stars Sharon Gless, Peter Paige, Michelle Clunie, Hal Sparks, Randy Harrison and Robert Gant alongside creators Ron Cowen and Dan Lipman.
But that’s not the full cast, as more names are expected to be announced later.
The livestream, which will take place on YouTube on 1 May, will feature plenty of conversations with the cast about the show, which first aired on American screens in 2000. The livestream will also auction off Queer as Folk memorabilia and feature other ways for people to donate money.
Just like the UK version, the US series was ground-breaking when it first aired due to its depiction of gay sex, as well as issues surrounding drug addiction, at a time when LGBTQ-related shows were in incredibly short supply.
Back when the cast reunited in 2018 for Entertainment Weekly’s Pride issue, the show’s executive producer, Ron Cowen, reflected on its impact. “We saw it as an opportunity to address a lot of issues that had never been shown on American TV before,” he said.
“That was very important to us because we, gay people, didn’t really see a true reflection of ourselves on TV very often.
“Back then, you couldn’t get married. There was Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the Army. In 14 states, there were still sodomy laws on the books. It was a very hostile atmosphere.”
He continued: “We thought the major backlash would be from right-wing religious people, but we never heard a word. The show received criticism from gay people and gay organizations, but they never said we weren’t telling the truth.”
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