Already the ‘For Love’ campaign had raised more than $180,000 at the time of publishing, with the goal of raising half a million dollars for the Children’s Cancer Foundation and support services for LGBTQIA+ youth.
Magda starts her own GoFundMe to support the Children’s Cancer Foundation, and Twenty10, which provides health, legal, and housing services to people of diverse sexualities and gender identities. #TheProjectTV Click the link- https://t.co/83TrTDTobT pic.twitter.com/MQUct1qpr6
— The Project (@theprojecttv) June 25, 2019
Szubanski, who was inducted into the Women’s Agenda Hall of Fame in October last year for her work on marriage equality, created the campaign with eight other Australians, including SBS presenter and founder of The Feed Patrick Abboud, lawyer advocate Mariam Veiszadeh, and Father Rod Bower of the Gosford Anglican Church.
Ninety per cent of the money raised will go to the Children’s Cancer Foundation to fund research grants, patient care, and family support.
This decision was no doubt informed by a screenshot that circulated on social media late last week showing Folau’s campaign, in which he spoke about the ‘fight of his life’, next to those of families trying to raise money for cancer treatments for their sick children. At the time, Folau’s campaign had raised more money than any of them.
YOU are in a fight that YOU chose to be in after YOU broke the terms of YOUR contract, the kids below are in a fight they NEVER wanted to be in & yet YOU think YOU deserve donations more than they do??!!
It’s no longer about religion, it’s about YOU and YOUR greed.@IzzyFolau 🤦🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/mdywzaw1ha
— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) June 21, 2019
The remaining other 10% of funds raised will go to Twenty10, a Sydney based service that assists LGBTQIA+ youth with mental health, housing, and social support.
“We are a diverse group of people; a united team of Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Atheists – some gay and some straight,” the ForLove GoFundMe page states.
“Our Australian community is diverse, accepting, powerful, and generous. It’s that spirit for which we should be known, and it’s with those values that we should be donating our time and money.”
Szubanski wants the campaign to show Australia a group of interfaith people who were using their beliefs for good: “We’re not gonna argue or fight. We’re gonna show a better way,” she told The Project.
I understand what you’re saying. But what should we do? We wanted to respond in some way w/o it being combative. And we didn’t want to raise $ just for our own tribe. So – Try & make the best of a bad situation & for the benefit of others. Try to promote loving kindness 🙏🏻 https://t.co/6UuBO9dOJF
— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) June 25, 2019
Folau’s initial fundraiser ended when GoFundMe shut it down, but the Australian Christian Lobby is now hosting the “appeal” on their website, and has donated $100,000 towards his legal fees themselves. The page is currently showing donations of $2,130,994.90.
You can donate to the ForLove campaign here.