Pulse

Natalia (Nats) Getty, founder and designer of Strike Oil, is partnering with LA-based street artist, Mr. Brainwash, and The Girls’ Lounge to create a memorial mural to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy. The memorial will take place on Spirit Day and commence at 11:30 PM EST outside of the nightclub in Orlando.

Strike Oil, Mr. Brainwash, and The Girls’ Lounge is inviting friends, family, and the community members to contribute to the mural, which Mr. Brainwash will partially create ahead of the memorial, to embrace those who lost loved ones, while raising awareness of Spirit Day. There will also be a special performance by Kim Anh.

The event will be recognized with a simple message; I AM. WE ARE. LET’S BE. Nats, who also identifies as lesbian says, “We should be able to live as humans. It’s that simple. I go where my heart tells me and where the fight is right. No matter what the cause.”

“The horrific attack on Latin night at Pulse nightclub is a tragic reminder of how far we have left to go to achieve full acceptance of LGBTQ people,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “This Spirit Day vigil to benefit the Pulse Foundation and GLAAD will raise visibility around the staggering rates of bullying LGBTQ youth face, while advancing our work to accelerate acceptance.”

“My heart is overflowing with the amount of love, compassion and commitment Mr. Brainwash and his staff, and Nats Getty have shown to the LGBTQ community and the city of Orlando. My hope is that this expression of love inspires people to use their passion to create change and a better world for the LGBTQ community around the world,” says Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

100% of the proceeds from this special tribute will go to the Pulse Foundation and GLAAD, to help restore the iconic location, which is an integral part of the neighborhood. Prints of the mural will also be available to purchase, along with other collaborative items at StrikeOil.com from Friday, October 21st.

Each year, millions of people “go purple” for Spirit Day in a united stand against bullying and to show support for LGBTQ youth. According to a 2015 GLSEN survey, more than half of LGBTQ students report being victimized based on sexual orientation, with a further three quarters of students who report hearing anti-LGBTQ remarks in school. Started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan, Spirit Day now draws the participation of celebrities, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, and individuals around the world, who join together in a united stand against bullying.

Check out glaad.org/spiritday for more about how to stand against bullying and show support for LGBTQ youth. Also follow @GLAAD on Twitter to keep up to date with #spiritday news.

Spirit Day is made possible by the generous support of its presenting partners Target and Wells Fargo, official partners, NBA and WNBA, NFL, Viacom, and WWE, and supporting partners, American Eagle Outfitters, Barilla, Comcast NBCUniversal, Kellogg’s, Kirkland & Ellis, Toyota Financial Services, and Zipcar.

Past participants in Spirit Day include the White House, the Empire State Building, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Laverne Cox, Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Shaquille O’Neal, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, The Talk, The Tonight Show, MTV, the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, WWE, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, the Las Vegas Strip, and more.