June 12, 2016, a deadly attack at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando claimed the lives of 49 people — most of them young, LGBTQ and Latinx — and rocked our nation to its core. We will never forget, and we will never stop standing with Orlando.
Below, HRC President Chad Griffin remembers Pulse with an open letter asking us to observe a moment of silence and pay tribute to those whose lives were taken.
One year ago, our nation was shaken to its core by a dark tragedy that claimed the lives of 49 people celebrating Latin night at a popular LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Today, millions of people across our country and around the globe will pause to honor the remarkable people taken that night — and mourn the lives that were tragically cut short.
Will you share a note of support to the survivors of Pulse and the families of those killed? We hope you’ll join us in observing a moment of silence and paying tribute to those whose lives were taken.
The attack at Pulse demonstrated the deadly cost of hate. For many years now, LGBTQ people have been the most common victims of hate crimes in the United States — a trend that has, tragically, continued to grow over the past year.
Recently, a same-sex couple was denied entrance to a Cincinnati pizzeria simply because they were holding hands. In New York, a gay couple was hit with a brick and called slurs. In the first six months of this year, at least 11 transgender people — many of them trans women of color — have been killed. And shockingly, in 2017, in 31 states it is still legal to refuse to serve a customer on the basis of who they are.
As Pulse showed us, hateful rhetoric and laws can turn dangerous when coupled with easy access to deadly weapons. Our safety requires the adoption of common-sense gun-safety measures.
That’s why it’s so important that we not only remember those killed at Pulse, but that we also #HonorThemWithAction. Please join us as we fight for equality in the weeks and months ahead. Start today by writing a note of support to the families of those killed and the survivors of Pulse >>
We need more grassroots advocates like you to join us in speaking out, fighting laws that sow discrimination and enable violence, bridging divides and holding elected leaders accountable. We have a long fight ahead of us, but we have to do everything in our power to ensure there is never another tragedy like Pulse.
Thank you for joining us in working toward this goal.
In solidarity,
Chad Griffin
President
