‘Stop The Hate’ Producer Ryan Murphy Gathers 49 Celebrities To Honor Orlando Victims

From the moment the world was made aware of the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, everyone wanted to act, to contribute something that might make sense of this tragedy, or, at the very least, provide each of us with a sense of closure. That feeling of helplessness has been no less keen among Hollywood’s celebrities, with stars, writers, and producers all looking for a way to give the Orlando victims richly deserved recognition and to make an everlasting memorial to mark such a devastating loss. Ryan Murphy was the first to jump to action, taking his idea for a memorial to Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. And together, the two of them began making plans to bring Stop the Hate to the world.

Stop The Hate Recognizes Every Orlando Victim With Its Brief Eulogy

Griffin says the Stop the Hate documentary has two purposes. First, his hope is that Stop the Hate will bring attention to each one of the Orlando Victims, because the HRC president’s feeling is that remembering every lost life by name is the most important thing we can take away from this tragedy. Secondly, Griffin hopes Stop the Hate and the Pulse nightclub shooting that prompted the need for the documentary will be enough to bring about real social change.

For producer Ryan Murphy, the real issue and one which he does express in Stop the Hate is that of a sickness spreading through our society. It’s an issue of addressing the ways in which society fails to serve itself, as opposed to addressing just one symptom of the greater problem.

“The hate that stole these 49 individuals from all those who loved them has been allowed to flourish in our country for too long,” Murphy said in a statement. “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.”

Stop The Hate: 49 Celebrities Share Their Feelings

Whatever side each of us falls on, when the topic of gun control is broached, no one can deny that shootings, such as those in Orlando, bring about intense feelings of grief, loss, and sorrow. For Stop the Hate, Ryan Murphy gathers together 49 celebrities to express their own feelings and possibly to speak for the millions without such a strong voice.

The participating celebrities offering their voice to Stop the Hate are 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, Édgar Ramírez, Max Greenfield, Chaz Bono, Cheyenne Jackson, Emma Roberts, Kerry Washington, George Lopez, Evan Rachel Wood, Sofia 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.

“I grew up in St Petersburg, so it felt like this happened in my backyard,” says Florida native Angela Bassett in her Stop the Hate testimonial. “It’s horrible we have to do this, but it’s an honor.”

Bassett wasn’t the only actress from Ryan Murphy’s various television shows to lend a voice to the Stop the Hate testimonial. Jamie Lee Curtis also offered her own thoughts on the hate spreading throughout today’s society.

“We can say what we want to say and articulate it and throw up the alternative to the hate-speech that is coming out of the Republican Party particularly,” offers Jamie Lee Curtis. “We have a voice.”

Stop the Hate, produced by Ryan Murphy and featuring the celebrities listed above, can be viewed on the Stop the Hate website, hosted by HRC.

[Image by Mark Davis/Getty Images]