World of Wonder

The 18-room facility in the Lower East Side of New York City called The Bea Arthur Residence has now been opened by The Ali Forney Center.

The residence was a dream and wish for Bea in her last will and testament, and was finalized by her son Matthew Saks and her grandson Brody Saks.

“These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender. This organization really is saving lives,” Bea said before she died.

The legendary Golden Girls actress was a huge supporter of the LTBTQ community and with her one-woman show, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, she brought in $40,000 to the center. In her will, she gave $300,000 to the shelter and it received an additional $3.3 million from the city to renovate just before her death.

“We are proud to dedicate this residence in her honor, and humbled to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside Bea Arthur’s son and grandson,” executive director of the Ali Forney Center, Carl Siciliano, said. “The Bea Arthur Residence marks an important shift in the way that we are able to house and care for young people who have been discarded by their families simply because of who they are. Pending city approvals, we hope to begin housing young people here within the next few weeks.”