DC Comics To Honor Pulse Orlando Victims

DC Comics will release anthology of more than 100 LGBTI stories to benefit victims of Orlando shooting

From Batwoman to Midnighter, the 144-page comic book will benefit victims of Pulse tragedy

DC Comics will be releasing a special 144-page anthology comic book to benefit victims of the Orlando shooting.
"Love Is Love" will contain more than 100 stories featuring many of the show’s LGBTI heroes, like Batwoman and Midnighter.
The 144-page comic book, released in December, was organized by gay comic book writer Marc Andreyko.



‘Love is Love’ will be 144 pages long and include more than 100 stories, as each story will be just one or two pages. The short length of the stories was determined early on, as Andreyko knew that keeping each one brief would make artists more likely to commit to the project."

‘I purposely said it would be a one-page thing to get people to commit,’ Andreyko told the New York Times.
Creators will include Damon Lindelof, Patton Oswalt, Phil Jimenez and Olivier Coipel, and many other writers and artists.
‘I was e-Harmony-ing people – mixing and matching and seeing who felt right’.

Love is Love, which will retail for $9.99, is expected in stores this December.



http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/dc-comics-will-release-anthology-orlando-shooting/#gs.jjqeNts
http://thegeekiary.com/love-is-love-dc-comics-pulse-orlando/37959
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/09...ndraising-comic-for-orlando-shooting-victims/

Interesting idea. Though how exactly is it going to "benefit the victims"? Personally, I would have released the book for free digitally, to "teach" people more about the LGBT community and life style. Far too many issues are simply because people don't know better. If we could release this book for free, it could hopefully help someone understand what their loved one(s) is going through and support them, rather than treat them like idiots.

I support this move by DC. And if you didnt know, the fundraising proceeds will go to Equality Orlando, an organization created to benefit the shooting victims and their loved ones.

Oops. Looks like I deleted this part when I was switching the order around.
"The New York Times reports the 144-page comic book will be called Love Is Love. Proceeds from the $9.99 cover price will be donated to Equality Florida and the fund for Pulse survivors and victims' families."

Thanks, but again... benefit how, exactly?

How will the money donated from the processed benefit the victims?
I assume Equality Florida will use it to help pay for medical bills, funereal costs, and to help make up for some lost wages from some of the victims being unable to return to work right away duo to physical and/or mental trauma.

Thankfully, for the people who would have downloaded it for free, means they have access to the internet. So with this comic book or not, they have an limitless supply of information in understanding LGBT people.

But then again..the ones who don't make an attempt to look that info up, I am sure would have also had no interest in downloading a free copy of this book and reading it.

Of course with in the first week this comes out, I'm sure it will be scanned and put on torrent websites for people to download for free.

Every state has Equality Outreach programs that do that. A long with just about every city (every major city at the very least) having PFLAG Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays that focus on the local levels.

I guess what-with DC Love Is Love being inspired by the Pulse shooting, (probably having stories that will tie to it) they wanted it to directly benefit them.
Much like when DC and Marvel released special editions books on the 9/11 attack, the money they made went to the programs that were helping the victims and family.

But yeah..I am not ashamed to admit that I am very fearful of a guy who's decision to commit or not commit a Hate Crime against a LGBT person could be decided by a free comic book.

Sorry, but it's very hard to tell if you're serious or not, so I'll try again. No offense.

1. Not sure what you mean with "having access to the internet". We live in 2016. "Everyone" has access to the internet in some way. If not at home, then drop by a library, airport, Burger King or whatever. Or a friend's house. Of course, there are a few people who still don't have internet these days, but there are people who can't afford comic books either. All I'm saying is if they release it for free, they can reach a whole lot more people. And since this is to "help the victims", I assume it's not published for the money anyway. Plus, Marvel has a Free Comic Book Day already (as the name suggests, they release a special comic book for free digitally), and I'd be surprised if DC don't have something similar.

2. I still don't know how selling a comic book is going to "help the victims", sorry. How do you even know who the victims were? The guest list?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against this idea. Maybe I'm just getting a bit cynical in my old age, but I'm very skeptical to all these so-called charities and "good causes". Far too often, the whole "good cause" is hyped like there's no tomorrow right there and then to get as much money as they can, then completely forgotten a week later. That's what worries me here. So they release a comic book in December, six months late, and get some money for... whatever they intend to do with them. And in January? Don't the victims still need help? Or are people too busy with the next fundraising stuff?

So hate me if you will, but what I'm wondering is if this is helping the victims or getting DC Comics much needed publicity. And while that might sound horrible, people have done a lot more for less. Take Christmas, for instance. We could go on and on about the spirit of Christmas and all that crap, but the one and only reason why we have so much focus on Christmas is to buy more junk we don't need. Why else would we get the first Christmas decorations in the stores in October? The modern world is all about making as much money as possible. No one ever gives away anything for free anymore, not even DC. So even if this whole comic book thing is to "help the victims", what will DC gain from it? Surely no one believes they do it just to be nice?

My meaning is that you are advocating that DC releases a free digital copy of the comic book as an effort to reach more people so that they can have a better understanding of LGBT people.

....I really want to just copy and paste my other message here. My point in it seems pretty clear.

To try and phrase it differently I guess, with all the free information online for LGBT equality, for anyone who does not understand, it's because they made the choice not to. It's not simply from just the lack of information available to them. So for the people who choose to avoid all the other outlets for LGBT issues, I don't see why they would treat this comic book any differently. That type of person would have chosen to ignore it like they do with everything else on the subject. $9.99 or free, that person would not want it.

I think they are choosing to do it this way, because the goal is not to only spread awareness but to raise money for the charity organization.

If it was unclear "Equality Florida" is the name of the charity organizing that DC is raising the money for. EF are the ones helping the Pulse victims who need it.

.....*sigh*

DC sales the comic Love Is Love. They then take the money they made, and give it to the charity organizations Equality Florida. They collect the money and are the ones who work with the hospital and funeral homes on behalf of each person who has came to EF looking for help.

...I kind of feel like you a trolling me. I just don't see how someone does not understand how charity organizations and donating money to them works.
Charity groups are not a new thing.

Names of the 49 that died.

Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Amanda Alvear and Mercedez Marisol Flores, 25 and 26
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25
Antonio Davon Brown, 29
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24
Cory James Connell, 21
Darryl "DJ" Roman Burt II, 29
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Enrique L. Rios, Jr, 25
Eric Ivan Ortiz Rivera, 36
Frank Hernandez , 27
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Geraldo A. "Drake" Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez, 37
Juan Ramon Guerrero and Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 22 and 32
Kimberly Morris, 37
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Luis Daniel Conde , 39
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30
Oscar A. Aracena-Montero and Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 26 and 31
Paul Terrell Henry , 41
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24

As for the 53 who were injured and survived, all there names were collected by the police but are not all listed on public record for privacy reasons.

When things such as this happens Charity Organizations use the names the police collected during the police investigations.
It's so that people who were actually not involved could not come forward pretending to have been there, and take advantage of the charity.

DC is just doing this one project on Pulse and are donating it to that charity group.
Equality Florida was around before the Pulse shooting. And they started working with them and helping on day one. They did not just open the doors for the people at Pulse. And they do not have a cut-off date for when they are going to stop helping the one who need it.

^just making that clear because you seem to be under the impression that DC is personally working with the victims. But they are just writing the check.

Not doubt. Just like Marvel and DC did with the 9/11 comics. I'm sure the writers and artists deeply cared about the tragedy that happened, and put a lot into trying to bring comfort to people with them.
But for DC and Marvel as a business, I'm sure the goal was that tho they did not make money off of those issues, they gained a lot of positive free advertising.


Done.

Sheesh, this is getting out of hand fast. All I asked, and what I still don't know, is how selling a comic book is going to help the victims. That's it. I don't mean to troll or anything. It's a genuine question. The problem is when we hear "help the victims", a whole lot of people love to jump on the bandwagon just to feel good about themselves, yet no one bothers ask how the victims are getting any help. Don't get me wrong, I think charity is a good thing most of the time. I'm just the kind of person who actively help out rather than hand out some money. "Teach a man how to fish", and all that, you know? I don't buy people fish. I teach them how to get fish themselves, so they can support themselves for the rest of their lives, and even teach others. So to say.

Not sure if posting the list of victims was a good idea, though. I certainly wouldn't have gone that far, and definitely didn't ask for it. But hey, your call.

He posted a list of the victims who passed, Not those still living.

Also since he doesn't work for the charity himself he can't explain exactly how the families will benefit but you were given a pretty decent description of what they have been doing since the attack happened.

Sigh... I give up. You would think asking how the charity is supposed to work is a simple question, but I guess I was wrong.

Your question was specifically answered.

The charity was around before the Pulse attack. Equality Florida's sole purpose is to help protect and secure the rights of LGBT members and they while they focus primarily on Florida some of their out reaches can have national effects.

Since the attack on Pulse, Equality Florida reached out to the victim's to help them through their time of need. Since we don't work there we don't the extent of it but probably giving money for missed days work, funeral costs, hospital bills, things like that probably are what they are assisting with.

So who are they helping? The victims, or the LGBT community as a whole?

I think I understand now, you're questioning truly goes hand in hand with the mistrust you have that this is being handled in the wrong way.

You're assuming since the charity wasn't funded just to help the Pulse victims that the charity itself could just hide the money or do something unintentional with whatever funds they receive.

The current intent by DC is that they are giving the money raised to Equality Florida so that they can use it for their purposes. No one but they can say how it's spent but from what I've seen of their track record their probably will be at least some double backing and relief somehow going back to the families in some form or another. I also wouldn't be surprised if some of the money was used to support the LGBT community as a whole either.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the idea of charity, and if they can help the victims, then all the better. The only thing I wonder about is how they intend to do it. I've seen far too many charities accepting your money for a good cause, then we never hear anything from them again. And if we ever do, it's usually not in a good way. So to me, trust is something you need to earn. There are a few charity organizations I trust, like the Salvation Army. They've been around for so long and done so many good things that they have earned my trust the hard way. But there are also countless of charity organizations I don't know, so it's hard to trust them. Sure many of them are great people with great intentions, but it's impossible to tell the good ones from the bad without knowing them.

But anyway, I don't mean to derail this thread, so I apologize. This is just something that affects me personally. Not the shooting, thankfully, but the other stuff.

Again, Equality Florida has been around for a long time, they didn't just show up after Pulse looking to make some quick cash on the guilt of the public (fairly sure there are a few of those around), and from what others have said, there are Equality groups in other states
Also fairly sure a big company like WB wouldn't do this without doing extensive background checks on the charity organisation

Sigh... all I asked was how they are going to help the victims. That's it. The disturbing part is no one seems to know, but because it's for a good cause, no one wants to ask, either.

To pre order Love is Love
http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/love-is-love/

"All material has been donated by the writers, artists, and editors, with all proceeds going to victims, survivors, and their families via EQUALITY FLORIDA."

Fun facts about Equality Florida
Is a non-profit organization that formed in 1997. And has been lead by co-founder executive director Nadine Smith ever since.
played a critical role in ending Florida’s 33-year anti-gay adoption ban, as well as assisting in the passage of the 2008 Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act, an anti-bullying law that has resulted in protections from anti-LGBT bullying and harassment for students across the entire state.

EF work for Pulse:
In just three months, EF GoFund "Support Victims of Pulse Shooting" alone has raised nearly $8 Million out of their $10 Million dollar goal, by contributions from 120,000 people. -- They raised $4.7 million within just the first four days of the shooting.
EF original statement "“Our goal is to make sure that every single penny that is donated goes to the families who need it, to the survivors, and that it is done in a process that will make all of us proud,”

Today.
"In the aftermath of the massacre at Pulse, Equality Florida made two promises.

First, we would do everything we could to help the families of those killed and the survivors dealing with the physical and emotional pain of being targeted in the worst anti-LGBTQ hate crime in U.S. history.
You helped us keep the first promise by contributing, online and in person, more than $9M.
And we have kept our word that every penny we collected - even the interest that accrued on the funds - is going to the victims of Pulse. No staff or overhead. We’ve donated all of our time.
On September 27th, those funds will be disbursed and now our attention must focus entirely on fulfilling the second promise - to honor the dead with action.
Thoughts and prayers and symbols are not enough.
We are committed to ensuring the lasting memorial is the real change of uprooting anti-LGBTQ hatred at the source."

"We have made available emergency deployment of short-term disbursements from our fundraising efforts, and connected victims with the immediate funds available via state and federal resources. We are committed to raising as much as we can to ensure long-term support for the victims’ families and survivors. The money raised towards this fund directly supports the victims families and survivors. "

Teaming up with Equality Florida in the days that followed the shooting, American Airlines offered free seats on its available flights to Orlando for immediate family members and domestic partners of the victims, in addition to donating a million airline miles to the LGBT Community Center of Central Florida and waiving fees associated with transporting the deceased back to their hometowns for burial. Similarly, JetBlue donated $100,000 to Equality Florida’s GoFundMe as well as offered free seats for immediate family members and partners, plus waiving change fees for those impacted.
While Florida in general has a large Spanish-speaking population, Saturday nights at Pulse marked the club’s weekly Latin night. So those donations from airlines may be particularly important given the large portion of the victims whose families are from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Spanish-speaking nations.
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Now.......for one last attempt to clear up doubt over a non-issue posed as a distraction.



Orlando Victims Fund Transparency Statement


Distribution of Funds

The distribution of funds to the victims and families of mass casualty crimes, including shootings and terrorist attacks, requires the highest level of transparency, complete accountability and closely managed stages of distribution. Below are the details on how the Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund is structured to meet those needs. Please note, all donations are through Equality Florida Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) entity. Contributions are deductible to the full extent of the law.


Transparency
Equality Florida made and maintains this clear commitment in all of our communications: 100% of all funds received will be distributed to support every single victim of the horrific shooting at Orlando's Pulse Nightclub. This includes victims’ families, survivors, and those in the club who may not have suffered physical injury but are in need of trauma support. This heinous act targeted our community, and, it is our responsibility to provide a mechanism to safely and securely donate to the victims of this tragedy and their families.
The victims were overwhelmingly Latino LGBTQ young people. Whether citizen or undocumented resident, all victims will be eligible to receive funds.
We have spoken to victims of other mass shootings. We know the needs are great. We will deliver 100% of all funds we receive to the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando's Pulse Nightclub. This includes victims’ families, survivors, and those in the club who may not have suffered physical injury but are in need of trauma support.

Accountability
Equality Florida, the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida (The Center) and the National Compassion Fund have announced a partnership with OneOrlando to ensure all funds collected for victims are disbursed in a unified process that will expedite funds, ensure transparency and safeguard against fraud.
The National Compassion Fund is a project of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC). The Fund was first proposed by victims and families from past mass casualty crimes across the country, including 9/11, Columbine, VA Tech, NIU, Aurora, Oak Creek, and Newtown. After they experienced stressful and prolonged negotiations attempting to collect money donated in their names, they asked NCVC to partner with them to develop a new model of giving—one that genuinely serves victims, donors, and the wider public.
For 30 years, NCVC has been the most comprehensive national resource committed to advancing victims’ rights and helping victims of all types of crime rebuild their lives. The Fund is overseen by people whose expertise is specifically with crime victims. Their three decades of experience makes them the leading national resource and advocacy organization for crime victims and those who serve them. The National Center for Victims of Crime does not charge any fees for this service. Visit http://nationalcompassionfund.org/ for more details on this incredible organization.

Stages of Distribution
The first step that leads to distribution of funds is identifying the full group of recipients. To that end, we have been pushing hard with every form of media available to us to get the victims' families, survivors, and those in the club who may not have suffered physical injury but are in need of trauma support to register.
Please help us get the word out.

http://www.eqfl.org/transparent

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