Forward Together Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Tragedy at Pulse Night Club

A year ago, we faced a tragic loss. At the Pulse night club in Orlando, FL, forty-nine queer and trans young people of all faiths and multi-racial backgrounds were killed in a hate-filled attack. As we remember and mourn their loss today, we continue to fight against the hate that took them from us far too soon. Forward Together deeply values the intersection of our identities and communities. We reject all the forms of hatred and oppression that came together to take these young people from us – anti-queer and trans discrimination, the targeting of Latinx communities, xenophobia and islamophobia.

We will continue to honor the memory of the victims of this attack and fight for a future where all young, queer people of color can thrive and live free from fear and hatred. We’ll be joining partners in actions online that honor those lost and uplift the lives and voices of today’s queer and trans youth. Please join us.

June 9th: #HonorThemWithAction – Equality Florida Tweet Storm

The #HonorThemWithAction campaign is a nationwide commemoration of the Pulse massacre that calls on individuals and organizations to honor those killed by taking action to uproot the hatred that feeds bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence.

How to Participate:

  • Tweet using #HonorThemWithAction at 1:00pm ET on Friday, June 9
  • Join the Thunderclap campaign and schedule Facebook posts, Tweets, and Tumblr posts to automatically launch at 1:00pm ET on Friday, June 9
  • Create your own #HonorThemWithAction social media graphics by using the files in the dropbox folder here.

June 12th: #WatchMeLive – LGBTQ Youth of Color share their voices

On June 12, Advocates for Youth and young people around the country will be participating in #WatchMeLive. During #WatchMeLive LGBTQ people of color can share their voices, challenges, achievements and dreams via live video to generate a larger conversation about what our communities should look and feel like.

To Participate:

  • Access a live video platform: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter and use the hashtag #WatchMeLive. We want LGBTQ people of color to show us what living their authentic selves looks like every day, whether it’s waiting for the bus first thing in the morning or their daily self-care practice! Here’s an example video of what it looks like: Andii Viveros

Eveline Shen, Executive Director
Forward Together