Marlo Thomas appears for the first time after the death of Phil Donahues

Marlo Thomas seemed to be in a good mood on Monday, May 12th, when she got out in New York City at the Pier, the characteristic fundraising gala of the Equality family.

It was the first public appearance to have made the Emmy winner, producer, author and activist since the death of her husband Phil Donahue. The moderator of the beloved talk show died in August 2024 at the age of 88 after a long illness.

Thomas and Donahue were married for 44 years. The long -time couple met for the first time when she appeared as a guest The Phil Donahue Show 1977 and they married the “three LS” in 1980.

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After his death, Thomas remained out of the spotlight. She even missed her annual Thanksgiving Day on the Today Show to promote the work of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the renowned pediatric treatment center, which was founded by her late father Danny Thomas.

But May 12th night in the pier event was something special. There, Thomas joined Demi Moore and Debbie Harry to convey the power plants of the entertainment industry Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson with the Luigi Caiola Luminary Award for their continued law firm and leadership to ensure that LGBTQ+ families have the legal protection, the visibility and support they deserve.

“The power to create a family does not come from gender or tradition, but from love,” said Moore in her speech.

Others who were honored at the event were Peggy Gillespie, co -founder of family diversity projects, a national non -profit organization that devoted itself to the elimination of discrimination. Jim Obergesfell, the senior plaintiff in Oberfell v. Hodges (The case of the US Colonel Court of 2015, which initiated the equality of the marriage), was also recognized to identify 10 years of equality.

Among the 1,200 Guests in the Room Were a Slew of Famous Faces Including Tallulah Willis, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Jessica Lange, Georgina Chapman, Billy Eichner, Lucy Liu, Katie Couric, Ali Wentworth, Molly Ringwald, Zachary Quinto, Jessica Capshaw, Brandon Flynn, Wilson Cruz, Orfeh and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Cole Escola, Louis McCartney, Joy Woods, Fina Stazza and Natalie Venetia Belcon as well as Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent as well as Michael Arden and Andy Mistus.

Nicole Scherzinger, Megan Hilty and Darren Criss entered the stage to appear.

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It was collected a whopping 1.5 million US dollars to support the work of family equality in order to promote the legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families nationwide

“This event is more than a moment. It is a movement,” said CEO of family equality Darra Gordon in a statement before the event. “We not only recognize the resilience of LGBTQ+ families. We actively invest in their future. Every story, every song, every dollar is a critical catalyst in a world in which our families are not only respected, but in which they are guaranteed that they have guaranteed the entire spectrum of legal and social protection for the coming generations.”