Laverne Cox, Sofia Vergara, Lady Gaga, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and 44 Others Give Individual Tributes to Orlando Victims

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Two-and-a-half weeks following the shooting and murder of 49 people on Latin Night at Orlando gay club Pulse, gun control legislation still hasn’t changed: Democrats in the Senate filibustered, and then ultimately four out of four potential amendments were declined, and Democrats in the House led by Representative John Lewis may have had a sit-in, but the house was adjourned until July 5. Lewis said, following the end of the sit-in, “The fight is not over. This is just one step of when we come back here on July the 5th we’re going to continue to push, to pull, to stand up, and if necessary, to sit down.” The Human Rights Campaign just released a video likewise entreating the rest of us not to stop fighting.

In a country where hate is such a contagion, it’s unconscionable how easy the government makes it for people to weaponize those feelings. The Human Rights Campaign — the nonprofit LGBTQ rights group — has released a new, 18 minute video, directed by Ryan Murphy (who has his own interesting fascinations with American violence) and Ned Martel, advocating for stricter gun control and the protection of the LGBTQ community “and all Americans from hate violence.”

For the video, Ryan Murphy had 49 celebrities, many of them former/current collaborators of Murphy’s, participate in the video. Each among them — including Laverne Cox, Sofia Vergara, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Matt Bomer, Finn Wittrock, Lee Daniels, Guillermo Díaz, Kerry Washington, Caitlyn Jenner, Chris Pine, George Lopez, and various others — read the biography of a specific victim.

The victims are listed on HRC in order of the appearance of their stories in the video:

Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez, 27; Stanley Almodovar III, 23; Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32; Luis Daniel Conde, 39; Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez, 37; Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40; Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37; Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35; Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21; Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49; Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24; Franky Jimmy De Jesús Velazquez, 50; Juan Chavez-Martinez, 25; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31; Antonio Davon Brown, 29; Miguel Angel Honorato, 30; Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25; ‘K.J.’ Morris, 37; Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34; Frankie Hernandez, 27; Akyra Monet Murray, 18; Joel Rayon Paniagua, 31; Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24; Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, 24; Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25; Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25; Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26; Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22; Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33; Paul Terrell Henry, 41; Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35; Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25; Amanda Alvear, 25; Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30; Angel Luis Candelario-Padro, 28; Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31; Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26; Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19; Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25; Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25; Darryl Roman Burt II, 29; Cory James Connell, 21; Martin Benitez Torres, 33; Luis S. Vielma, 22; Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36; Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22; and Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32.

Ryan Murphy said in a statement:

The hate that stole these 49 individuals from all those who loved them has been allowed to flourish in our country for too long. No person is born hating another, and we have an obligation as Americans to stand up against prejudice and bigotry that would incite violence against someone simply for who they are. I am proud to have joined with Ned Martel, my talented colleagues, and the Human Rights Campaign to honor these 49 heroes and stop the hate.

HRC urges people to visit their site, Stop the Hate, to help by getting behind legislation “that will ensure LGBTQ people are safe and equal in every community.”

Watch the video: