RuPaul and the judges of RuPaul’s Drag Race raised money for the LGBT adoption agency, Extraordinary Families, on Thursday night in Hancock Park (via Variety). Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley, and Jeffrey Bower Chapman co-hosted the event for the foster and adoption organization that focuses on LGBTQ+ parents and kids.
$250,000 was raised for the LGBT organization, as announced by RuPaul’s Drag Race producer Fenton Bailey, who is also the co-founder of World of Wonder. The CEO of Extraordinary Families, Barnaby Murff, thanked the producer, who is a board member of the agency with two adopted children with his husband, Billy Luther.
RuPaul’s Drag Race judges raise $250,000 for LGBT adoption agency
Part of the effort from the RuPaul’s Drag Race judges to help the LGBT adoption agency is the struggle parents in the community face when trying to adopt. In a study by Gary J. Gates in 2015, there were approximately 2 million to 3.7 million children with a parent within the community and 200,000 with same-sex parents. A study in 2018 showed that there are no differences between heterosexual and same-sex parents when it comes to the well-being of their children.
Stakes skyrocketed at the event in an attempt to raise more money by the judges of RuPaul’s Drag Race for the LGBT agency. An impromptu bidding war began to have lunch with judges Kressley and Matthews. As someone suggested having lunch with Visage, the stakes were greatly raised into the five-figure range. A bid from hairstylist Chaz Dean put up $6,500, followed by another bid for $6,000. For “two dates,” Visage accepted the offer of $12,000 to the cause.
In part of the celebration, Bailey’s oldest son had baked a cake that RuPaul presented to celebrate the birthdays of producers Randy Barbato and Visage.
The reality series has won 26 Emmys since its 2009 debut. There is no date for season 15, which was announced would be happening.