Cheyenne Jackson Records Gay Rights Anthem

In April, The Advocate posted former American Idol contestant R.J. Helton's emotional performance of the song "Blessing, a plea to a parent to accept the singer for being gay.

Now Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson has recorded the song, written by composer and lyricist Scott Alan, as a charity single for the Trevor Project and the Hetrick-Martin Institute. Alan wrote the song for his mother.

Jackson, who has seen his star rise in recent months thanks to gigs in Broadway's Finian's Rainbow and on 30 Rock, stepped in to record the song at the last minute after Helton was forced to drop out for personal reasons. The song is available for download on iTunes.

The Trevor Project was established in 1998 as a 24-hour suicide prevention helpline for LGBT youth. The Hetrick-Martin Institute funds after-school programs for LGBT youths and runs New York's Harvey Milk High School.