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Bea Arthur leaves $300,000 to LGBT youthsThe LGBT community has another reason to thank Bea Arthur for being a friend: Yesterday, the Ali Forney Center, a New York safe shelter for homeless gay youths, announced that the late, great Golden Girl left $300,000 to them in her will.
The Ali Forney Center's executive director, Carl Siciliano, said in a statement, "We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Bea saw that LGBT youth deserve as much love and support as any other young person, and that she placed so much value in the work we do to protect them, and to help them rebuild their lives." The center plans to purchase a new building to house 12 additional youths with the funds bequeathed by Bea Arthur, and name it in her honor. "We work with hundreds of young people who are rejected by their families because of who they are," Siciliano said. In fact, the center works with over 1,000 young people a year, offering emergency and transitional housing in seven locations, as well as drop-in services that include clothing, food, HIV testing, medical and mental health treatment, and educational assistance.
While our community is certainly touched by Bea Arthur's generosity, we are not surprised. She was a long-time champion of LGBT rights, and just an all-around classy broad. In her final interview, not long before she passed away, she said to her assistant, "I have a reason to be here; it's not just fun. I have something to give. I have something to give." And she did. From coaxing the blues right out of the horn in the original Broadway production of Mame, to breaking ground as an outspoken liberal feminist in Maude, to wearing the crown as queen of the caustic quip in Golden Girls, Bea Arthur gave us a million reasons to smile. Here she is with Angela Lansbury, performing the iconic number, "Bosom Buddies," from Mame. No conversation about her would be complete without mentioning the second season Golden Girls episode "Isn't It Romantic?", in which Dorothy's lesbian friend Jean comes to visit after her wife of eight years dies. In this clip, Dorothy tells Sophia and Blanche that Jean is in love with Rose. In this clip, Dorothy and Rose react. I was eight years old when "Isn't It Romantic" aired; it was my first exposure to the idea of lesbianism, and the Golden Girls' casual acceptance is something I came back to again and again as I was working out my sexuality. In her final interview, Bea Arthur said to her assistant, "I'm not talking too much about myself, am I?" Oh, Bea Arthur. There is no such thing as talking to much about you! (Thanks to Velvet Park for the tip about the Ali Forney center!) Submitted by on October 28, 2009 - 12:00pm. |
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I used to watch the Golden Girls...
Well I've already commented on this when I read it on 365 Gay...But I just wanted to say thanks again Bea...You were one cool lady.
~I couldn't let boys have all the fun ;)ahhh
what a woman
No surprise here.
Awww...
Bea Arthur ROCKS!
What a lovely, classy and *generous* woman!
:D
Hero for the day!
Love her!
Agreed!
Yes Definately!
I third that. Love all the girls... Bea is greatly missed.
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I loved that joke in I Cant Think Straight. Wonder if Shamim Sarif saw thjs episode and liked the reference, or if you know, it's a pretty common pun...
Bless her.
I think you make a good
I think you make a good point about the type of representation shown today.
I liked this episode of Golden Girls for many reasons ... 1) It was very funny 2) It was fairly casually accepted 3) Rose was flattered, even if she couldn't return Jean's feelings 4) Jean accepted that and they stayed friends.
The majority of today's shows feature exploitative lesbian interaction, or they introduce a gay character who falls in love with a straight woman who ends up returning her feelings. Kerry on ER, Callie on Grey's (although Hahn was straight in the beginning too), Willow on Buffy... I guess my point is, I liked that GG showed a gay woman who was attracted to a straight woman, and that was okay even if it didn't change anything for either of them. Does that make sense?
And while there are valid coming out stories to tell, and valid stories of sexual fluidity or coming to terms with your sexuality later in life, I get tired of how that becomes the focus of too many female same-sex stories. Once they admit their attraction it becomes all about processing, accepting, dealing with that and the repercussions and we lose all the fun, romance and actual relationship. At least most of the time. Not all the time.
Anyway, that's way off topic. Saw Bea Arthur a few years before her death doing her one-woman show. It was very entertaining and she adapted a joke I had heard about a straight couple being discovered living together by one of the moms and made it about a male couple instead. Her show was delightful.
Shows today...
And it struck me that I would be happy to see such an understanding take on lesbianism now on a sitcom.
I know, right? I thought the same thing while I was watching this-- "If this sitcom was being made today (which itself would never happen), Jean would be a sexually confused, clingy stalker, she and Rose would have a much over-hyped kiss, one or both of them would immediately come down with a case of gay panic and run off to sleep with the nearest man, and also Jean would be pregnant. Yes. Even menopause cannot stop a lesbian's need to get pregnant."
This, on the other hand, was sweet, down to earth, and respectful.
In other news, oh Bea. You were truly a class act.
Bosom Buddies!
Fantastic. I agree, no surprise at all.
It's pretty funny that Bosom Buddies is posted, because in the episode that was referenced, Blanche used the phrase "Bosom Buddies" with Dorothy responding with something like "not a word Ma". Thank you Stunt Double for posting this!
oh bea!
Classy Broad
Was she gay in real life ?
no i doubt it
Oh I always loved Bea
and this gives me even more reason. She was, and still is, a legend.
http://amykins-writefromthebeginning.blogspot.com/
Appreciate it :)
Bea Arthur was amazing!!! I remember watching Golden Girls with my grandparents when I was very little. I was always struck by Bea's character and how strong she was, what a presence she had.
She will be missed :P But remembered by those lucky people she left money to! Thank you, Bea!
Still can't believe
Awesome. Also, this gives me an excuse to post this again...
Ahw this is so sweet. I
A classy lady til the end...
Wow... that was an incredible gesture, and one very needed too. Too many kids find themselves on the street after coming out and are out of options. Not only did she do a lot of good but it obviously came from the heart. All those celebs who are showing their mugs on red carpets 'for charity' should take lessons from this classy lady whose talent and hear will be missed and irreplaceable.
For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco
Who isn't in love with Rose?
Love GG.
Bea was a gem and her legacy continues to shine.
I personally love the Golden Girls!
Watching Golden Girls right now
How Generous of Bea !
I wish Rich Gay people would take notice. This how you leave a legacy behind-helping others.
Go Bea! We'll miss you. GG will always rock on in my world!
twitter me @ www.twitter.com/brownskinfaery
exactly
anyone who dies with a bunch of money still in hand just never "got" life.
I grew up watching Bea as "Maude," and always liked her; she was the kind of person, who, if I was channel-flipping and saw her on something, I'd stop to watch.
May she rest in peace.
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The most beautiful smile is the one that struggles through tears--Graffiti on a bridge outside NYC
Always loved Bea Arthur, I'm
Always loved Bea Arthur, I'm touched she did this. Sniff
--
http://ankie.livejournal.com
She was always my fav.
Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty were my fav Golden Girls. I still watch it everytime it comes on. She still continues to amaze us even after death. THANKS BEA!
Thank You for putting this together
I remember that episode
As a kid it was my first exposure to anything lesbian, I didnt even believe that such a thing existed. I always thought that to be myself I had to eventually become a man somehow.
I grew up with Golden Girls, watching it with the rest of my family. The Golden Girls women always seemed like members of our household, watching this as a child with my parents is one of my treasured childhood memories.
Great generosity from such a wonderful woman, you will be missed Bea.
Great Great Woman
She was my favorite Golden Girl. So sad that she died but she was a great person and her leaving all that money to help young LGBT teens was probaley the best and kindest thing ever.
I will miss her!
And that episode was the one that I remembered the best out of all the episodes. It really spoke on something a bit ahead of its time and did it with grace.
"Once you 'got' Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again. And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again." -Andy Warhol