Save the Chimps

After years of advocating on behalf of chimpanzees in entertainment, actor Alan Cumming joins Save the Chimps' Advisory Council. 

Alan, along with members of his touring stage show, visited the sanctuary earlier this year, seeing firsthand the space, freedom, and care our more than 220 rescued chimpanzees receive. 

"I feel a personal connection to many of the residents here," Alan said after touring the sanctuary. "In the 90's I starred in a film with an infant chimp, named Tonka. Back then I didn't know much about the way showbiz chimps are treated." 

PETA was granted permission to rescue Tonka last year, but when the group went to carry out the court’s order, Tonka had vanished—and his owner falsely claimed that he had died. In response, PETA launched a nationwide search for the chimpanzee’s whereabouts that included help from Alan, who even offered a $20,000 reward for anyone who found him.

Tonka, at Save the Chimps

Tonka was located in June, inside a small basement cage. He arrived at the sanctuary and quickly settled in, enjoying soaking up the sunshine on the top level of his play yard, eating fresh food, and enjoying engaging enrichment. He immediately greeted his chimpanzee neighbors and enjoys playing chase with them along the yard.

We are honored to have Alan join our advisory Council and look forward to working together to advocate for chimpanzees in need.

Wild Project

I’m an Advisory Board Member of wild project.

wild project, a nonprofit producer and venue, supports the diverse independent theater, film, music, visual arts, and spoken-word artists of New York City. Since 2007, wild project has presented and produced theater that enriches, educates, and unifies its East Village community in an environmentally responsible green space. Located on E. 3rd St. in Manhattan, wild project curate’s resident companies in its 89-seat theater and devotes specific initiatives toward LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC projects and the work of local East Village artists, to ensure nonprofit theater sustains its roots in the community. wild project places the utmost importance on engendering a climate that supports the artists and cultivates artists who commit to artistic excellence, enrich the community and promote social equity.

www.thewildproject.org

The Hetrick-Martin Institute

I am an ambassador for the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), an organization committed to education and empowerment for LGBTQ youth. HMI believes all young people, regardless of sexual orientation, deserve a safe and supportive environment, and fosters this environment with a comprehensive package of direct services such as providing hot meals and STI testing. HMI also offers programs in dance and theatre, painting, and photography, as well as health and wellness classes and HSE/SAT test preparation. 

Please visit www.hmi.org for more information and to see how you can get involved!

UNHCR

I am a supporter of UNHCR, an organization whose primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. I visited Lebanon in 2016 and met many refugees from Syria and Iraq.

There are still staggering 77 countries where it is still illegal to be gay, forcing them to flee their homes in search of freedom, and UNHCR is committed to ensuring the safety of refugees. Currently, refugees’ lives are at risk while fleeing persecution. While they typically move alongside migrants, they have to utilize illegal border entry points, often involving smuggling. They are often subject to inhumane conditions while on the move, including abuse and exploitation. Sadly, this is often the only route to seek refuge. UNHCR works with governments around the world to help them respond in a coherent and practical way. UNHCR has a 10-point plan that sets out key areas in which action is required to address mixed migration in countries origin, transit, and destination. 

Beyond their work with governments, UNCHR helps refugees directly when they need it most, providing blankets, water, and other essentials.

Please visit unhcr.org and support this extremely important organization.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS raises vast amounts of money every year from the Broadway community and gives it to a range of needy charities and organisations

I am on the Board of Directors of Broadway Cares and have participated in many of their events, including the annual Broadway Bares benefit, as well as recording a duet with Liza Minnelli for their Home for the Holidays album as well as making curtain call speeches for the twice annual collections.  Please visit  www.bcefa.org to find out more.

The Mission of BC/EFA is to mobilize the unique abilities within the entertainment industry to mitigate the suffering of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

Intact America/15 Square

I think circumcision is genital mutilation and I am horrified that it is happening on such a mass scale and with so little discussion or forethought about the dangers and the impact on the future lives of the little boys involved.

So I am very happy to be patron of 15 Square, which aims to advance the education of the public in all matters relating to circumcision and other forms of surgical alteration of the genitals, including alternative treatments and offering information and advice on such matters.

And also I am on the board of advocates of Intact America whose mission is to protect babies and children from circumcision and all other forms of medically unnecessary genital alteration, whether carried out for cultural conformity or profit, in medical or non-medical settings.  We seek to achieve our goals through education, advocacy, public policy reform, and the empowerment of our supporters, partners, and volunteers.

The Friends of the Birks Cinema

I am a Patron of The Friends of the Birks Cinema, an organization that is working to restore the Birks Cinema in Aberfeldy, Scotland, where I was born, to its former glory. 

Sadly, for many years all you heard about was cinemas closing in this rural area, but now it’s a different story. As someone who loves film, I’m excited by the idea that the town where I was born could soon have a world class cinema right on its doorstep. The Birks Cinema has my backing, and I hope it has yours too. So I encourage you to visit their website and help out in any way you can.

Planned Parenthood

I am a member of Planned Parenthood’s Board of Advocates.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., is the world's largest and most trusted voluntary reproductive health care organization. Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1916 as America's first birth control clinic, Planned Parenthood believes in everyone's right to choose when or whether to have a child, that every child should be wanted and loved, and that women should be in charge of their own destinies. Please visit Planned Parenthood at www.plannedparenthood.org.