Androgynous supermodel Rain Dove (while attending Capital Pride in Washington, D.C.) was tagged in a frantic post by a Facebook fan and supporter who was inside Pulse in Orlando, FL. The post was a 15-second video showing bodies on the floor and the sound of gunshots being fired. The fan asked Rain Dove to post on their social media about the shooting to get help and awareness out to the LGBTQ community.
Rain Dove immediately called the police, paramedics, and local LGBTQ organizations in Orlando then posted about the event upon seeing the video. Approximately 40 minutes later the fan who had contacted them had their account disabled, presumably by law enforcement due to the graphic nature.
Rain Dove immediately took a day of silence and will be orchestrating a Silent Dance Vigil in which individuals are invited to dance to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston while wearing headphones. “The point is that the dancer can hear the music but the videos posted will seem as if the dancer is dancing to silence. This action symbolically suggests the silence given to those who simply wanted to dance with somebody they loved and shows resilience that we the survivors will keep dancing despite adversity,” says Rain Dove who is very concerned about the well-being of the those that were affected by the Orlando attacks.
The Silent Dance Vigil will launch Wednesday, June 15 starting at 2 a.m., which is the same time as the attack on June 12. It will be paired with an option to donate to a known attack survivors fund.
Rain Dove will make a speech about this incident and the Silent Dance Vigil at the Trevor Live Red Carpet Awards.
