Watch 49 celebrities tell the stories of the 49 Orlando victims in a powerful video
The Human Rights campaign organized the tribute.
Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire in an Orlando gay nightclub, killing 49 and injuring dozens more. There have been vigils, pride flags and events dedicated to the victims, and chalk messages of support scrawled on the church at which the country’s first state-sanctioned same-sex marriage was held.
Now, 49 celebrities have honored the 49 victims by sharing their stories with the world.
“Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez, 27 years old,” Lady Gaga says, starting off the video. “Jean starting working at McDonald’s at age 15 to help support his family and was recently made the manager of a check-cashing store. He purchased his first home this spring so that his mother could live there, too. He loved to escape to the beach, though his best friend called him a big teddy bear who was happy when everyone depended on him.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released the tribute Wednesday. Emmy Award winners Ryan Murphy and Ned Martel directed the 18-minute video , which features 49 celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Caitlyn Jenner, Kerry Washington, Laverne Cox, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
“The 49 heroes who lost their lives on June 12 were brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors, boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives. They were mostly young and mostly Latinx. But above all, they were human beings who were loved, and who had hopes and dreams for long, full lives,” said HRC President Chad Griffin in a statement. “It has been only a few short weeks since we lost 49 people to a deadly act of hatred. It is our responsibility to keep their memories alive and honor their legacies by ensuring our nation acts to end anti-LGBTQ hate and gun violence.”
In the wake of the Orlando tragedy, HRC put up images of all 49 victims in the front windows of its Washington, D.C. building. HRC encourages viewers to visit stopthehate.hrc.org and to support victims’ families and survivors through healorlando.org.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com