A Host Of Celebs Honor The Victims Of The Orlando Shooting In This Ryan Murphy Directed Short

Following the tragic Orlando nightclub shooting, many have been looking for ways to properly honor the lives of those lost that night. In the wake of this horrible act of violence, House Democrats staged a sit-in in favor of tightened gun regulations, and many celebrities spoke out with words of comfort to the LGBTQ+ community. While we see the shooter’s name splashed across headlines nationwide, the most important thing to remember is the lives that were lost and to ensure that they are never forgotten.

Ryan Murphy, of American Horror Story fame, decided to direct a short film honoring the victims. Despite the host of celebrities used, a straightforward style and touching words puts the focus on the shooting victims. The opening shot sets the sombre mood, with a few words to tell the terrible story.

On June 12, 2016, a gunman killed 49 people and injured 53 others inside Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on Latin Night.

It was both the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBTQ people in U.S. history.

The victims live on in our memories.

These are their names.

These are their stories.

A whole host of 49 celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Chris Pine, Kerry Washington, and Jamie Lee Curtis (to name just a few), read each of the names of those who were lost and tell viewers a little bit about who they were as people as pictures of the victims fill the screens. This simple gesture is as a moving as it is powerful.

The Human Rights Campaign is behind the video, and Murphy claimed in a statement that the purpose of the video was to combat hate.

“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.”

The clip is 18 minutes long, but take a little time to watch it in its entirety. Remember their faces and their sacrifice.

(Via Variety)

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