49 Celebs Pay Emotional Tribute to Orlando Victims in Ryan Murphy-Directed Video for HRC – WATCH

The Human Rights Campaign on Wednesday shared a video tribute to the 49 victims of the Pulse gay nightclub massacre. The video shows actors, directors and entertainment leaders sharing vignettes about each of the victims who was brutally slain on June 12, 2016.

The 18-minute tribute was directed by Ryan Murphy and Ned Martel and is meant to be a living memorial to the 49 victims, providing more information about their lives so they may always be remembered.

Murphy’s involvement with the project stemmed from his desire to raise awareness about the dual epidemics of anti-LGBT violence and gun violence following the Orlando massacre.

HRC President Chad Griffin said of the video,

“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. 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.”

RELATED: Human Rights Campaign Unveils 8-Story Tribute to Orlando Victims, Backs Gun Control

Added Murphy,

“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.”

Here is the list of victims in the order they are recognized in the tribute: 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.

The victims’ stories are told by (in order of appearance): Lady Gaga, Chris Pine, Cuba Gooding Jr., Connie Britton, Matt Bomer, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Lea Michele, Colton Haynes, Sophia Bush, Jane Fonda, Harry Shum Jr., Denis O’Hare, Rob Reiner, Melissa Benoist, Caitlyn Jenner, Edgar Ramirez, Max Greenfield, Chaz Bono, Cheyenne Jackson, Emma Roberts, Kerry Washington, George Lopez, Evan Rachel Wood, Sofía Vergara, Diego Boneta, Nina Jacobson, Demi Lovato, Tyler Oakley, Yeardley Smith, Kid Cudi, Kaitlin Olson, Kevin McHale, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Daniels, Chace Crawford, Evan Peters, Gerard Butler, Katey Sagal, John Stamos, Laverne Cox, Jordana Brewster, Wes Bentley, Finn Wittrock, Darren Criss, Kathy Bates, Anna Paquin, Guillermo Díaz and Joe Mantello.

HRC is asking viewers to visit their Stop the Hate website and demand gun reform.

Watch the emotional tribute, below.

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Alexander Skarsgard Talks Gay Sex Scenes, Drag, and His LGBT Fan Base

Alexander Skarsgard is no stranger to queer-friendly content and the Tarzan star is opening up about his experience filming gay sex scenes, dressing in drag for the premiere of a movie, and his LGBT fan base.

In an interview with Pride Source, Skarsgard said he is flattered to have the support of LGBT fans. He adds that he has always been accepting of the LGBT community because he grew up with strong gay role models:

“It’s always been the most natural thing to me because my uncle and godfather is a gay man and so growing up, even as a little toddler, it was just as natural as being straight. My aunt would show up with her husband and my uncle would show up with his husband. He was, by far, out of my father’s four siblings (Alexander’s father is actor Stellan Skarsgard), the most fashionable and the most trendy, cool guy. So, when I was a kid, he was the one I looked up to. I thought he was really badass: fit and awesome and cool, and obviously not because he was gay.

When I became a teenager and the kids made fun of other teenagers who were gay, I never really understood that. It just baffled me because my idol, my godfather, was gay, and he was the coolest guy I knew. I just couldn’t understand how that could be an insult.”

Skarsgard also talked about how he ended up in drag as Farrah Fawcett for the San Francisco premiere of The Diary of a Teenage Girl. The director of the film is a drag queen and he felt a little bit bland when getting ready for the premiere:

“I was sitting there with my grey suit and I just felt like, ‘Fucking hell, this is so boring; can I play as well?’ I said, ‘I wanna look like Farrah Fawcett.’ I showed them that iconic image from the early ’80s in that golden dress with the blonde hair, so that’s what we went for. I can’t quite say that we nailed it. I mean, they did an incredible job, but I think it’s tough with a dude who’s 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. (Laughs) And with those heels, I was like 7 feet tall.

As physically demanding as shooting “Legend of Tarzan” was, it was nothing compared to that night in drag. Oh my god; walking around in those heels, in that super itchy, hot wig and the fake nails, I felt like Edward Scissorhands. I couldn’t even grab a drink.

He added, “I have tremendous respect for all the drag queens out there. I got a little taste of what it takes to look that fabulous.”

As for his work on HBO’s True Blood, in which he played a pansexual vampire, Skarsgard says it’s ridiculous that the show was written off by some as “too gay.” He also added that the show brought LGBT people into the homes of people who might otherwise not have been exposed to them: “…a lot of people who didn’t have anyone close to them in the LGBT community suddenly had someone in their living room every Sunday night that they loved.”

As for any advice he has for straight actors who are tasked with a gay sex scene as he was, Skarsgard says, “You just have to embrace it.” Of his two sex scenes on True Blood, Skarsgard says,

“They’re incredible scenes. I loved this scene and I remember talking to Theo (Alexander), who played the Greek lover of Russell Edgington (portrayed by Denis O’Hare), and that was the first gay sex scene I had on ‘True Blood.’ He’s also a straight guy and he was nervous; he had never kissed a guy before. I just said, ‘Look at the scene. It’s this nemesis and he comes in and then it gets seductive and you think they’re gonna make love and it gets into that and then suddenly my character stabs him in the back and he explodes. In two minutes, look at this emotional rollercoaster we’re taking the audience on. If we commit to this, it’s going to be an amazing scene and we’re going to be very happy with it forever. If we hold back, that’s when it gets awkward.’

Same thing shooting the other scene with Ryan (Kwanten) – we knew that it was coming because we shot a scene the previous year where I hypnotize him and say, like, ‘When you dream, dream sweet dreams of me.’ Because we did it in a very seductive way, when they said ‘wrap’ and I turned around and I saw the writers, I could just see in their eyes that they were like, ‘We’re definitely gonna see this dream later on in the show.’ We knew it was coming. You have to think of the scene and how it fits in and hopefully be excited about the scene. Then, just dive in.”

As for the next time Skarsgard will “do something as gay as ‘True Blood’ again”, he says, “Well, I mean, next time I get drunk probably.”

You can read Skarsgard’s full interview with Pride Source HERE.

Check out photos of Skarsgard in The Legend of Tarzan, which opens July 1, below.

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WATCH: 49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Orlando Tragedy in New Ryan Murphy-Produced Tribute

Today, HRC released a special tribute to the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub on Latin night. The 18-minute tribute — directed by Emmy Award-winning Ryan Murphy and Ned Martel, with the support of their colleagues at Ryan Murphy Television — features a diverse cast of 49 actors, directors and other entertainment leaders recounting individual stories of the people killed in our nation’s deadliest mass shooting. Viewers are asked to visit stopthehate.hrc.org and take action by supporting victims’ families and survivors through healorlando.org, as well as contacting legislators to demand passage of LGBTQ protections and common-sense gun violence prevention measures.

Watch the video here:

The attack on Pulse nightclub has tragically become a symbol of how deadly anti-LGBTQ hate can become when it is combined with easy access to military-style assault weapons. In the wake of the attack in Orlando, HRC has been joined by a wide range of civil rights leaders in speaking out against laws and politicians who foment hate against LGBTQ people. HRC has also called on Congress to establish protections for LGBTQ people in all fifty states through the Equality Act and officially adopted a resolution in support of common-sense gun violence prevention legislation that will help ensure LGBTQ people and all Americans are safe and equal in every community.  

“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. “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.    We are incredibly grateful to Ryan Murphy, Ned Martel and the 49 artists who came together to create this beautiful and lasting tribute.”

In the aftermath of the Orlando tragedy, Murphy asked how he could help drive awareness about the dual epidemics of anti-LGBTQ hate violence and gun violence that, together, claimed so many lives at Pulse nightclub. The result was this moving tribute, filmed over the course of three days, at FOX Studios in Los Angeles.

“The hate that stole these 49 individuals from all those who loved them has been allowed to flourish in our country for too long,” said Ryan Murphy, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, director and producer. “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.”

Brief vignettes recounted by leading performers and entertainment leaders tell the stories of all 49 victims (in order of appearance): 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.

Their stories are told by (in order of appearance): Lady Gaga, Chris Pine, Cuba Gooding Jr., Connie Britton, Matt Bomer, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Lea Michele, Colton Haynes, Sophia Bush, Jane Fonda, Harry Shum Jr., Denis O’Hare, Rob Reiner, Melissa Benoist, Caitlyn Jenner, Edgar Ramirez, Max Greenfield, Chaz Bono, Cheyenne Jackson, Emma Roberts, Kerry Washington, George Lopez, Evan Rachel Wood, Sofía Vergara, Diego Boneta, Nina Jacobson, Demi Lovato, Tyler Oakley, Yeardley Smith, Kid Cudi, Kaitlin Olson, Kevin McHale, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Daniels, Chace Crawford, Evan Peters, Gerard Butler, Katey Sagal, John Stamos, Laverne Cox, Jordana Brewster, Wes Bentley, Finn Wittrock, Darren Criss, Kathy Bates, Anna Paquin, Guillermo Díaz and Joe Mantello.

In the wake of the Orlando tragedy, HRC installed images of all 49 victims of in the front windows of its building in Washington, D.C., creating an 8-story composite image that also beared the message, “We Are Orlando.” The video tribute launched today — and featured on HRC’s new microsite, stopthehate.hrc.org — will be a lasting, living memorial to remember the victims of the attack. The site will also be home to news and resources about stemming the tide of hate violence against the LGBTQ community.

www.hrc.org/blog/watch-49-celebrities-honor-49-victims-of-orlando-tragedy-in-new-ryan-murphy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Happy Heterosexual Pride Day!

Just what we needed post-Orlando, and in the middle of our legitimate Pride month: A campaign to mock and undermine LGBT advances and self-determination.

www.advocate.com/pride/2016/6/29/happy-heterosexual-pride-day

Uganda Lawmaker Suggests Homosexuality Could Lead To Legalization of Sex with Animals: VIDEO

A Ugandan lawmaker has urged the country’s youth to become “ground fighters” in the national battle against homosexuality.

Rebecca Kadaga (right), the Speaker of Parliament, made the comments at a party hosted by youth leaders to congratulate her on her reelection to Parliament last February.

Kadaga was a driving force behind Uganda’s “kill the gays” law. In 2012, she promised to pass the law as a “Christmas gift” to Ugandans.

RELATED: Ugandan High School Reportedly Suspends 20 Students on Suspicion of Being Gay

Kadaga added she has proof that NGOs working in Uganda are recruiting children into homosexuality. She added that “the Canadian court has legalised sex with dogs in addition to homosexuality.”

Uganda recognized for promoting African culture. This is good! t.co/ZWzggHmEur

— Rebecca Kadaga (@RebeccaKadaga) March 9, 2016

AllAfrica Reports:

Ms Kadaga said the youth are soft targets for homosexuals and pro-gay lobbyists from the Western world using scholarships and donor organisations to spread the vice and lure young people into it.

“We must stand against homosexuality and I enlist you as ground fighters against the vice among your fellow youth. Secure them from the vice with a vibrant programme,” Ms Kadaga said and warned the youth against being used as conduits…

She said there is credible information that some NGOs are recruiting children into homosexuality in Kamuli, asking security organs to investigate the issue and take appropriate action.

“It is disheartening that the social media reported that the Canadian court has legalised sex with dogs in addition to homosexuality. So security, act on these organisations luring innocent kids or we hold you as accomplices to the vice,” Ms Kadaga said.

In 2012, Kadaga received a blessing from Pope Francis.

Watch a 2012 report on Kadaga’s “kill the gays” bill below.

[Kadaga image via Wikipedia]

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Former MTV VJ Dave Holmes’ ‘Party of One’ is Music to a Gay Man’s Ears

Former MTV VJ Dave Holmes has just published a hilarious memoir and a great summer beach book called Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs which takes the music of the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s as its soundtrack as Holmes chronicles his journey through those decades as a gay man, from high school to Catholic college, to the bars of New York City and the advertising industry, and to his accidental career as a VJ.

We’re thrilled to feature Holmes in this week’s very funny TowleREAD audio feature.

Allow him to introduce the reading:

This is a selection from my memoir, Party of One, which came out on Tuesday, June 28. It’s a memoir of all of my worst behavior and least healthy choices through my years, and all of the wonderful places that they’ve taken me.

The piece that I’m going to read for you is from a chapter about my awkward, self-destructive coming out in the early nineties at a conservative Catholic college in New England, and my first attempt at love. It takes place after I have written to a letter to the school newspaper, anonymously, indicating that I am a gay person on campus. And I would read that letter, but it is so full of conflicted, self-loathing nineteen-year-oldness that I just can’t face it again. So you’ll have to buy the book if you want to read it and cringe. How enticing is that?

You should also know that I begin this chapter by saying I’m so terrified of AIDS at this point in my life that I can’t even listen to the Suzanne Vega album “99.9ºF” because it’s about AIDS. My literal, actual, entire HIV and AIDS action plan was just not to listen to that album. We pick up the story right when the chaplain’s office has decided to put a support group together for gay and lesbian students. So here we go.

Enjoy:

Holmes is also a comedian, and contributes to Esquire magazine.

You can pick up Party of One on Amazon.

As a bonus, check out this great playlist Holmes made up for the book, featuring the soundtrack of his life, and visit his website HERE.

You can also buy any of the books we have featured on TowleREAD in our store.

CHECK OUT THESE RECENT TOWLEREADS:

Boy Erased: A Preacher’s Son Recounts His Failed Journey Through Gay Conversion Therapy

Jim Downs Reexamines Gay Culture, History, and Sex in the 1970s in ‘Stand By Me’

Ken Corbett’s ‘A Murder Over a Girl’ Explores the Terrible Killing of California Teen Larry King: LISTEN

Rashod Ollison Reads from His Lyrical Coming-of-Age Memoir ‘Soul Serenade’ – LISTEN

Garth Greenwell Reads from His Remarkable Debut Novel ‘What Belongs To You’ – LISTEN

Disclosure: If you buy something through hyperlinks to supporting retailers, we may get a small commission on the sale. Thanks for your ongoing support of Towleroad and independent publishing.

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Caitlyn Jenner: ‘Donald Trump Seems Very Much Behind the LGBT Community’

Caitlyn Jenner has hardly made it a secret that she’s a Republican and plans to vote Republican come November. She previously supported Ted Cruz for president, saying she wanted to be his ambassador for transgender issues, blasted Hillary Clinton as a “f**king liar”, and pulled a bathroom stunt at Trump Tower in Manhattan in an attempt to show how trans-inclusive the Donald really is.

Now Jenner is doubling down on her apparent support of Trump, suggesting that he has a positive record on LGBT rights. Said Jenner in an interview with Stat, 

“…Trump seems to be very much for women. He seems very much behind the LGBT community because of what happened in North Carolina with the bathroom issue. He backed the LGBT community.”

Comparing Trump to Hillary Clinton, Jenner did admit that, “…in Trump’s case, there’s a lot more unknowns. With Hillary, you pretty much know what you’re gonna get with the LGBT community.”

And what you would get with Hillary versus Trump is an actual supporter of the LGBT community as opposed to someone who has said, for example, that evangelicals can trust him on marriage, and that he would appoint a Supreme Court justice that would overturn SCOTUS’ gay marriage ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. 

In case you have any doubt about Trump’s anti-LGBT positions, just ask the gays, or at least a few of the gays, such as gay marriage-watcher Matt Baume or Prop. 8 defendants Jeff Zarillo and Paul Katami.

[h/t HuffPo]

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