Don’t be afraid to let them show

Cyndi Lauper’s song “True Colors” always puts a little catch in my throat. To my ears, it’s one of the clearest, purest declarations of love in all its many forms out there. Each time I hear it, it moves me anew. So I was thrilled to hear that Cyndi, who has been a longtime gay rights activist, is taking her message on the road on the new True Colors Tour. The 15-city tour will raise awareness about gay rights and funds for the Human Rights Campaign.

But wait, there’s more. Not only will the fabulous Ms. Lauper be headlining, along for the ride are a virtual pantheon of gay icons and performers: Debbie Harry, Erasure, The Dresden Dolls, The Gossip and The Misshapes. Popping up at select dates will be Rufus Wainwright, Rosie O’Donnell and the Indigo Girls. And emceeing the whole shebang will be - wait for it, wait for it - Margaret FUCKING Cho! I am doing all I can right now to suppress girlish squeals of glee.The tour coincides with Pride celebrations across the country. It starts its run June 8 in Las Vegas and finished up June 30 in Los Angeles. A portion of the proceeds go to the Human Rights Campaign. The project is also partnered with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, PFLAG and Logo. Hey, I kinda work for them. Yeah, I’m fairly certain that won’t help me score any tickets.

Regardless, it sounds like a fantastic idea (though I’m not sure how many straight audience members they’ll get; that’s a pretty gay lineup). And, just in case you’d forgotten, “True Colors” is an amazing song and Cyndi is a pretty amazing woman.