Staying strong. Andy Cohen addressed the LGBT community with a message of hope and unity during the Sunday, June 12, episode of Watch What Happens Live after the tragic Orlando shooting that occurred at a gay nightclub that morning.
“The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, like other gay clubs, was a place where people went to not just feel like they could really be themselves, but to find community and safety, and to have that freedom shattered by the most deadly mass shooting in our country’s history is unfathomable,” the Bravo personality, 48, said, looking directly into the camera.
“This month is Pride month for the LGBT community, and as we have been so brutally reminded today, it’s about more than parties and parades — it is also a celebration of our civil rights,” he continued. “There are people who wish that we do not exist but we do. And it is with a great deal of pride that this gay American is going to try to put a smile on your face at the end of a sad day, in this clubhouse where everyone is welcome and everyone is loved.”
Earlier in the day, the late-night host expressed his frustration with the lack of gun control in the United States, as well as discrimination against the LGBT community. “If we can’t get rid of guns can we please end homophobia?” he tweeted.
If we can’t get rid of guns can we please end homophobia? https://t.co/en0qLUPzPL
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) June 12, 2016
Cohen isn’t the only celebrity to share a message of support following the horrific attack that left 49 dead and dozens more injured. Stars such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Cher have taken to social media to express their grief and pay tribute to the victims of what is now the deadliest shooting in American history.
Sunday night’s 2016 Tony Awards broadcast was dedicated to those affected by the tragedy, which officials have labeled a possible “act of domestic terrorism.”
“On behalf of the whole theater community and every person in this room, our hearts go out to all of those affected by this atrocity. All we can say is you are not on your own right now. Your tragedy is our tragedy,” Tonys host James Corden said at the beginning of the ceremony. “Theater is a place where every race, creed, sexuality and gender is equal, is embraced and is loved. Hate will never win.”
As Us Weekly previously reported, police identified the shooter in the tragic event as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Florida. The suspect was shot dead just before 6 a.m., several hours after he opened fire inside of Pulse.
