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From left: Dionne Warwick, Eugene Levy, Bianca Del Rio, and Brita Filter
The EqualityPAC fundraiser will be held on June 4 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
In a year marked by escalating political attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, Dionne Warwick will headline one of the most visible acts of queer resistance in the nation’s capital. On June 4, the Grammy-winning music legend will perform her 1985 anthem “That’s What Friends Are For” at Equality PAC’s National Pride Gala, organizers announced Wednesday. The fundraiser, held at Washington’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, will feature in the week’s WorldPride events, although it is not affiliated with the global celebration in Washington, D.C.
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The performance is no mere nostalgia play. Warwick originally recorded the song with Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder to raise funds for HIV and AIDS research during the darkest days of the epidemic. Now, four decades later, she’ll sing it again in a political moment charged with echoes of that past — a time when solidarity, visibility, and public defiance remain urgent.
Related: Bianca Del Rio will emcee Equality PAC’s National Pride Gala during WorldPride D.C. (exclusive)
“Originally released to raise awareness and support during the height of the AIDS crisis,” Equality PAC Cochairs U.S. Reps. Mark Takano of California and Ritchie Torres of New York said, “the song remains a powerful symbol of love, friendship, and allyship in the face of adversity — values that continue to guide our movement today.”
Joining Warwick on the program is Eugene Levy, who will receive the 2025 Nancy Pelosi Equality Ally Award. Levy, the Emmy-winning co-creator and star of Schitt’s Creek, helped shift mainstream portrayals of queer love through the show’s unflinching optimism and humor. He created the series alongside his gay son, Dan Levy, and the two have become cultural touchstones for a new generation of LGBTQ+ and allied audiences.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio will emcee the Gala.
Related: As the first out trans person in Congress, Sarah McBride is ready to fight for us
After the formal program, the National Pride Gala After Party will feature performances by Drag Race Season 12’s Brita Filter, who will also serve as emcee, and D.C.’s White Ford Bronco, an all-’90s cover band known for their high-energy throwback sets.
Takano and Torres called the night “the premier event kicking off the major weekend of World Pride in DC.”
They added, “This year’s Gala is not only a celebration of progress—it’s a call to action.”
That call lands in an atmosphere of escalating government hostility. Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has rolled back LGBTQ+ protections, targeted gender-affirming health care access, and trans people’s ability to serve in the military or to have official federal documents that reflect their gender identity. Trump has also slashed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
His cultural assault has extended to the arts: The Kennedy Center, now chaired by the president, canceled a planned WorldPride concert by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington without explanation. The Capital Pride Alliance, which is responsible for planning WorldPride, relocated other events out of the historic cultural arts center due to a hostile environment, Ryan Bos, the executive director, previously told The Advocate.
Related: Gay Senate candidate Chris Pappas: The government shouldn’t limit trans people’s health care
Founded in 2014, Equality PAC has positioned itself at the intersection of LGBTQ+ rights and electoral strategy. According to a statement from the organization, the PAC raised and spent more than $23.4 million during the 2023–24 election cycle, helping elect history-makers like Delaware U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of Congress. With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, Equality PAC is preparing to expand the LGBTQ+ caucus even further — and to make history again, potentially sending the first out gay man to the U.S. Senate, joining lesbian Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, if New Hampshire U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas wins the election. EqualityPAC has also endorsed Minnesota U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a lesbian who is running for the U.S. Senate.
