Why was noted queer baiter Nick Jonas asked to speak at a vigil for the Orlando victims?

Rage is powerful, but it’s been difficult to focus that feeling in the wake of the Orlando shooting. Here’s a solid place to channel some of it: Nick Jonas, who the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC chose to speak at their vigil Monday night at the Stonewall Inn in New York City.

The straight, white actor and singer—who claims he has “technically” had sex with another man on account of the multiple gay characters he has portrayed on TV and regularly baits queer consumers for cash—spoke about how his “heart broke” when he heard the news. Video footage from the vigil shows many attendees chanting “Say their names!” in an attempt to divert focus away from Nick Jonas’ feelings and onto the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, the majority of whom were LGBTQ Latinxs and people of color. They were unsuccessful during Jonas’ speech, but DNAinfo reports that the thousands-strong vigil ended with a recitation of all 49 names.

Nick Jonas spoke at the #Stonewall Inn vigil for Orlando victims today in NYC. #LoveIsLove #LYWC #NickJonas pic.twitter.com/dtTCtsmf3b

— Nick Jonas Fandom (@NickJonasFandom) June 14, 2016

Other speakers at the Stonewall vigil included Jennifer Louise Lopez of Everything Transgender in NYC, Mirna Haidar of the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Shelby Chestnut of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, New York City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess, New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On a more unsettling note, Governor Cuomo called for the “biggest” and “safest” New York Pride weekend ever during his speech at the vigil. But what does he mean by “safest”? Does his vision of safety include an increased police presence, like the armed counterterrorism unit that stood guard over Monday night’s vigil? Given the NYPD’s long history of harassing people and communities of color—see the disproportionate number of innocent black and Latino people stopped and frisked by cops and the NYPD Intelligence Division’s continued surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers—will the “safest” Pride ever only be “safest” for white LGBTQ attendees and their white allies? Does your heart break over the thought of that, Nick?