Equality Rocks: A Concert To Celebrate An Age Of Equality & Safety

Garth Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Anne Heche, George Michael, Rufus Wainwright, Kristen Johnston, Chaka Khan, Nathan Lane, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Kathy Najimy, Albita, Pet Shop Boys to Perform at HRC Concert, "Equality Rocks!"

"Equality Rocks," a major concert featuring such superstar performers as Garth Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Anne Heche, George Michael, Rufus Wainwright, Kristen Johnston, Chaka Khan, Nathan Lane, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Kathy Najimy, Albita, Pet Shop Boys, will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2000, the eve of the Millennium March on Washington for Equality. The concert, to be held at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, is being hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

In recent years, as the U.S. has repeatedly been shaken and appalled by the degree of violence and hatred unleashed by and at young people in this country, the HRC has continued to be deeply committed to fostering an atmosphere of respect for difference and basic human rights for all.

Equality Rocks is an effort to improve our basic standards of civility and understanding. The event's organizers and performers hope to effectively address the climate in which long-term prejudice and bias is formed. The message of the concert is that people in every setting and institution have a responsibility to build a better nation for all young people.

Besides providing lots of entertainment, Equality Rocks will help the HRC Foundation continue its vital work into the next century. The concert will embody a dream of equality and safety for all people, and a world free of violence based on difference. It will also be a celebration fostering mutual respect and dignity, especially among young people, so they can dream their dreams, free of fear and violence.

The historic nature of the concert will be unprecedented in the United States. Never before have so many powerful and inspiring artists and performers come together to lend their support to the GLBT community and celebrate the dream of equality, safety, and fairness for all people. Through this event, HRC hopes to send a thoughtful and much needed message to America that it is time to end the senseless prejudice and violence that regularly tears at this country.

The concert is also a celebration of HRC's work as the organization celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. HRC has always dreamed of a world in which difference is not just tolerated, but embraced and celebrated. Equality Rocks will give people an opportunity to dream, hope, and rock.

Equality Rocks is being produced by Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director, the Human Rights Campaign; Laurette Healey, President, Entertainment Marketing Associates; Bill Leopold, President, W.F. Leopold Management; Hilary Rosen, President, Recording Industry Association of America; and Lisa Sanderson, President and CEO, Red Strokes Entertainment. Ingrid Casares, CP Ventures, is also a producer.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a nonprofit corporation well known for its educational programs. The HRC Foundation will also provide a major grant to the Millennium March on Washington organization from the proceeds of the event.

Tickets are available nationwide by calling TicketMaster at 800-551-SEAT, 202-432-SEAT, or visit their web site at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed and all artists are subject to change.

PlanetOut, Inc., a leading online media company, is a Diamond Corporate Sponsor of Equality Rocks. PlanetOut will provide hundreds of thousands of young people around the world with concert information and highlights before, during, and after the concert. To find out more, visit PlanetOut at www.planetout.com.

The Human Rights Campaign envisions an America where all people, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, are ensured of basic equal rights and can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in their communities. HRC is dedicated to universal standards of fairness and equality for all people. The HRC Foundation, an affiliated educational organization, provides programs that educate and enhance Americans and their lives, as well as programs that enhance the lives of GLBT people and their families. For more information about this event, visit their website at www.hrc.org/equalityrocks/.