Celebrities are speaking out against the racist and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett. In a recent video from GLAAD and Color of Change, actors and activists shared their support and love for Smollet and called for an end to these attacks.
The video features Ava DuVernay, Lena Waithe, Keiynan Lonsdale, Wilson Cruz and many more stars coming together to expose the harsh reality of being a black LGBTQ person in America. In the video, the stars explained that black survivors of anti-LGBTQ hate violence are “twice as likely to experience any physical violence, twice as likely to experience discrimination, and 1.4 times more likely to experience threats and intimidation during acts of violence.”
The actors, directors and activists all vow to never allow the horrific experiences black LGBTQ people have faced “to be erased.” In an effort to combat the hatred, bigotry and homophobia incited by the current political landscape, the actors are calling upon politicians to start to addressing these issues more seriously.
“We can make the world we want to see together,” screenwriter and director Dee Rees said in the video. “The measure of our love for each other is greater than the measure of racist hate.”
The video was made as a part of the Call Out Hate campaign, a collaborative effort between GLAAD and Color of Change. The movement stands in solidarity with the black LGBTQ community and urges media outlets to call attacks on Smollet what they are: hate crimes.
By gathering powerful black voices in Hollywood to speak out against the attack, the campaign hopes that these influencers will spark positive change. They also want other black LGBTQ youth to know that they are loved, no matter how others may look at them.
Watch the video below:
‘Our truths cannot be erased. Our lives must not be erased. We will not be erased.’ — Celebrities and activists are speaking out against hate after the racist, homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett pic.twitter.com/bAygiGhhxw
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 6, 2019