LEADING UK drag queen Divina De Campo, as seen on The Voice UK and Ru Paul’s Drag Race, has announced her support for York’s local LGBT charity fundraiser.

York LGBT Forum, a charity that works with the most vulnerable parts of the LGBT community, has launched a new fundraising campaign under its creative subgroup QueerArts, coined ‘Share The Rainbow.’ Having a predicted shortfall of £9,000 income owing to coronavirus, York LGBT Forum is now pulling out all the stops so that it can continue to offer its services.

The premise of the fundraiser involves an online music video challenge, where people are asked to make a small donation to the fundraiser and submit a video of themselves lip-syncing to York’s LGBT Choir’s charity single ‘Through The Storm.’

Having launched the fundraising campaign three weeks ago, it has started to gauge a lot of interest online. People have been getting very creative, with renditions of the challenge being done as the Hulk, as Tigger, and there has even been a submission of a dinosaur with in excess of 27,000 views.

The challenge has now been picked up by Ru Paul’s Drag Race finalist Divina De Campo.

"She has posted a video online showcasing her support for the fundraising campaign.

It is hoped the fundraiser will raise enough money to create the music video for the choir’s charity single. This will involve a film editor and 2D animator, and thereafter, profits will be split between the NHS and York LGBT Forum. Divina will feature in the video.

Creative director of QueerArts Wayne Dawson said: “The rainbow has always been a distinctive symbol for the LGBT community.

“It’s a symbol of safety, of hope, of solidarity and of community.

“The rainbow has now also started to be widely used as a symbol of support for the NHS.

“With our charity and the people we work with being drastically impacted by coronavirus, and knowing the incredible work that the NHS are doing in helping to save lives, we made the decision to split the profits of the fundraiser with the NHS.

“We hope the community involvement in the creation of the video, as well as the final product, will send a message of support to both the NHS and the LGBT community.”

Here is a link to the fundraiser: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/queerarts-through-the-storm-music-video?fbclid=IwAR1Lysn8ShoKQCiHk1AqDQ5tLMyU2TYg81nSiAbL9atUwruRpZeP6Uo0FN8