Bea Arthur died of cancer last April, at 86, and her generosity lives on. Arthur had a big gay following, who loved her as the acerbic Maude Findlay in Norman Lear's sitcom "Maude" and as the strong feminist Dorothy Zbornak in "The Golden Girls."
Everyone loved her deadpan delivery and her flair for the comic jab. Arthur's gay fans loved to imitate her and dress as her in drag. It was a perfect mix -- she was tall, with a commanding stature, and she had a sharp-tongue in a husky, basso voice.
ARTHUR'S GENEROSITY LIVES ON
Bea Arthur didn't forget her gay fans in her will. She left a $300,000 donation to New York's Ali Forney Center. The organization assists more than 1,000 youth each year, providing shelter for those who had to leave home "for being who they are," Executive Director Carl Siciliano told CNN.
Arthur's gift could not have come at a better time. It arrived a week ago, a $300,000 check delivered by a FedEx carrier.
With the economic crisis, much of the foundation and corporate money gifted to the Ali Forney Center has dried up at the same time that the organization and need have grown. Currently, about 125 LGBT teens arrive every day waiting to get into its housing for the night.
A REPRISE OF ARTHUR'S ONE-WOMAN SHOW
Arthur became involved with the nonprofit in 2005, when a former set designer asked if she would do a benefit for the center to help ease its growing pains. Back then the Ali Forney Center was only sheltering 12 kids at a time, according to Siciliano. Arthur reprised her one-woman show, "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" for one night only and raised in excess of $40,000 for the center and contributed another sizable personal donation.
SHE SHINED A LIGHT ON HOMELESS TEENS
Although the curtain fell, Arthur regularly raised the problems of LGBT homeless youth when she was interviewed.
"...These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or trans-gender -- this organization really is saving lives," she was quoted saying in Next magazine.
Part of the money Arthur left for the center, will go toward buying a residence that can house another 12 kids, said Siciliano, who plans on naming the residence after Bea Arthur.
"We work with hundreds of young people who are rejected by their families because of who they are," says Siciliano. "We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Bea saw that LGBT youth deserve as much love and support as any other young persons, and that she placed so much value in the work we do to protect them, and to help them rebuild their lives."
GIVE A LITTLE YOURSELF
For more information on the center, and how you can give directly to support the Bea Arthur Residence, click on the Ali Forney Center website here.
by Sharon McEachern
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