Jeremy Pope, Keala Settle, Lena Hall, Jeremy O. Harris and More to Take Part in OASIS: A VIRTUAL VARIETY SHOW

The Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest LGBTQ teen and young adult homeless shelter and services organization, will present its 11th annual Oasis: A Virtual Variety Show summer benefit virtually this year at 7:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, August 19 on Benny Drama's YouTube Channel. Non-binary actor and LGBTQ activist Tommy Dorfman, theatrical producer Ryan Ratelle and creative director Sam Ratelle are the event's Co-Chairs. Oasis: A Virtual Variety Show is free to view and there will opportunities through out the program to text to donate to AFC.

The 2020 Oasis takes on a new life with a retro 1970s variety hour theme inspiration. Dorfman will play host and emcee to a cavalcade of LGBTQ identifying celebrities and allies including 2020 Emmy nominee Jeremy Pope; Lena Dunham, Dove Cameron, Cindy Crawford, Michelle Visage, Brandon Flynn, Miss Jay Alexander, Kaia Gerber, Marc Jacobs, Margaret Cho, Keala Settle, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Hari Nef, Renée Taylor, Cindy Williams, Bruce Villanch, Crystal Methyd, Lena Hall, Jinkx Monsoon, Ginger Minj, Latrice Royale, Jackie Cox, Vanessa "Vanjie" Mateo, Nina West, Benny Drama, Bowen Yang, Judy Gold, Jeremy O. Harris, Janaya Future Khan, Nick Adams, Joel Kim Booster, Geoffrey Mac, Tyler Neasloney, Jake Dupree and many more.

"We are humbled to have so many talented and caring people committed to helping us through this very difficult year," said AFC Executive Director, Alex Roque. "From the celebrity supporters, to the longstanding committee of volunteers who have been supporting this event for 11 years, they each play a role in showing our young people that they are loved and worthy of being cared for."

The evening, directed by Alan Souza and written by Nick Sahoyah, will include musical performances, surprise appearances, and spoofs of classic game and variety shows including "Hollywood Squares, "The Dating Game," "The Newlywed Game." Top Notch Virtual will provide Oasis' production management; casting by Creative Casting's Jill Demling and Brian Anstey edited the show.

Oasis will offer a silent auction of donated items, including a one-on-one Topeka chats with the band Haim, Brandon Flynn and Kaia Gerber and, once we are all able to dine inside again, a champagne dinner with Renee Taylor (Sylvia Fine, The Nanny) available to view on the AFC Oasis website. The silent auction will debut on Tuesday, August 18; bidding will close on August 31st.

Oasis began as a small cocktail party in New York City with a performance by RuPaul's Drag Race season 3 contestant and All Star's finalist, Jujubee, in 2009 and has since grown to a more than 1000 person cocktail event and auction featuring hosts such as Parker Posey, Kalen Allen, Bevy Smith and performances from Alaska, Asia O'Hara, Ginger Minj, Detox, Aquaria among others. Oasis has raised more than $1million for AFC's homeless LGBTQ youth.

"So excited to devote my time to producing and hosting this fundraiser for Ali Forney Center," said Dorfman. "It's imperative that they get the support they really need; when they cannot do in person fundraising for safety issues, we have to come together virtually."

Website: www.aliforneycenter.org