Shine On: A concert for Trans Day of Visibility at The Cooper Union
Celebrate Trans Day of Visibility this March 31 at “Shine On,” a special concert at The Cooper Union hosted by NYC legend, comedian, and international entertainer Murray Hill and featuring performances by trailblazing actress, singer, DJ, reality star, and activist Peppermint and the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus (NYCGMC).
According to the Human Rights Commission, nearly 350 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced since the start of 2023 in state legislatures across the country, including 150 that specifically target transgender people. To date, this is the highest number of bills in a single year to target transgender people—and we are just three months in.
“Shine On” is both a celebration honoring transgender and non-binary people and a call to action to fight against hate. The event is part of The Gardiner Foundation Great Hall Forum series which explores contemporary societal issues and connects history from The Cooper Union’s Great Hall, dating back more than 160 years, to the present. NYCGMC, the world-renowned institution and pioneering voice for the LGBTQ community, held its very first holiday concert at The Cooper Union in 1980.
WHAT: “Shine On: A Concert for Trans Day of Visibility”
WHO: Murray Hill is Mr. Showbiz. Anointed “Downtown’s New ‘It’ Boy” by The New York Times, he’s a relentless shtick slinger, larger-than-life personality, and freewheeling ad-libber. He plays Fred Rococo in HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” which was awarded many “Best of” 2022 Awards, including “Best New TV Series” from AFI. He’s been selected as OUT’s Top 100 influential performers twice; included in New York Magazine’s “Fifty Most Iconic Gender Benders of All Time”; and named one of the Top 12 gender-bending performers in NYC by Time Out. He was recently awarded the Trailblazer Award by Queerty.
A longtime key figure in queer nightlife, Peppermint’s star rose thanks to her smashing success as the first out trans contestant on “Rupaul’s Drag Race” where she finished as runner-up in one of the series’ most-talked-about finales. Soon after, her talent led her to become the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway in the hit musical Head Over Heels. She currently serves on the board of GLAAD and she is the ACLU’s Artist Ambassador for Transgender Justice.
NYCGMC is comprised of more than 260 talented singers of various ages, backgrounds, and experiences. NYCGMC sings in every style from classical to pop, Broadway to gospel, and from cultures all over the world. Over the years, NYCGMC has performed with an amazing array of performers and artists including: Barbara Cook, Elaine Stritch, Joan Rivers, Stephen Sondheim, Kelli O’Hara, Sia, Alan Cumming, and the New York Philharmonic—to name just a few.
WHEN: Friday, March 31, 7pm ET
WHERE: Great Hall at The Cooper Union 7 East 7th Street New York, NY 10003
(R/W to 8th Street, 6
MORE: General public should RSVP at https://bit.ly/cushineon.
Visitors must show security proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test by a third party (not home test) within three days of their visit to campus or a negative rapid test result taken by a third party (not home test) on the day of the visit to campus.
