Some much-needed positive stories of how the LGBT+ community is coping in crisis

A barrage of negative news can be traumatic and while it's important to stay informed, it's also vital to highlight the good news emerging from the crisis. 

Coping in a crisis

Here is a round-up of some of the good news stories happening around the world as we learn to adapt and cope in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

 

Dominos pledged a further 100,000 slices of pizza to frontline workers

Domino’s Pizza Group, the nation’s best-loved pizza company, has pledged a further 100,000 slices of pizza to frontline workers as part of their on-going partnership with Feed The Heroes.

Domino’s first partnered with Feed The Heroes four weeks ago, delivering 100,000 free slices of pizza to frontline workers both through the organisation and directly to Garda stations, hospitals, fire units, hostels, homeless shelters, testing centres and vulnerable people within their local communities.

From Monday, 27 April until Sunday, 24 May, Domino’s is proud to deliver a further 100,000 slices of pizza to essential workers up and down the country.

For more information, please see www.feedtheheroes.com. If you would like to make a donation visit the GoFundMe page, if you want to register your team or location to receive meals, email [email protected]

 

Tiocfaidh Ár Sesh

James Kavanagh has created bespoke jumpers and tote bags, designed by Derek Doyle, to help raise funds for Inner City Helping the Homeless and the National Campaign for the Arts.

“Even though this feels like it’s kinda going on forever ? it’s so important to remind ourselves that better days ARE coming,” James shared on Instagram.

“Your fun will return, your family will be back in your life, your friends will be back and the sesh will come. I wanted to make something cute n fun to wear when we do get to play with our friends and family again (or just to look good in around the house tbh).

Grab your limited edition sweatshirt or tote here, you’ll be helping some vital charities during the crisis.

 

Free Mom Hugs Virtual Tour

Sara Cunningham, who went viral after offering to be a ‘stand-in Mom’ at LGBT+ Weddings, runs an organization called Free Mom Hugs that, pre-COVID-19, went to pride events across the US and tells LGBT+ kids that they are loved and offer them “free mom hugs”. Jamie Lee Curtis bought the rights to How We Sleep At Night, a memoir by Sara Cunningham.

Cunningham has now announced that the organisation with start offering its services virtually in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, launching on Mother’s Day in the US.

The Free Mom Hugs Virtual Tour will include webinars, supportive environments, profiles of “heroes and activists,” and live broadcasts.

 

The Avatar Is Present

As art galleries and museums have closed their doors during the crisis in the effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, people are adapting and creating cultural exhibitions in digital spaces.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the breakout video game of the pandemic, has become an unlikely source of innovation, with recreations of artworks by Marina Abramović, Barbara Kruger, Christo, Jeanne-Claude, and more.

The highlight of the creations is the recreation of Abramović’s iconic performance piece, ‘The Artist is Present’ where Installation artist Shing Yin Khor recreated the MoMa piece. Her avatar sat for an hour at a table with an empty chair opposite. Other users were invited to sit opposite.

 

Quarantine Couture

A Brooklyn based artist has created a community where fashion, laughter and the art of drag are showcased in an effort to spread joy during the crisis.

Laughlin came up with “Quarantine Couture,” a socially-distanced Instagram fashion series that would feature looks created from household items.

“I think it really started from the joy of me wanting to be able to celebrate,” Laughlin told HuffPost. “I love to celebrate any holiday and especially now that I’m a grown queer man in New York, I like to take back holidays and celebrate them with drag or costumes and just being silly and fun.”

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