Tag Archives: Orlando

Thousands Reflect On Anniversary Of Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando

Today marks the first anniversary of the Orlando massacre, a mass shooting in which members of our LGBTQ community lost their lives inside Pulse Nightclub.

A giant rainbow flag will be flown over the Orange County government building for the day, while flags across Florida will be flown at half-mast.

A closed service for survivors, local officials and club employees was held overnight to mark the exact time of the attack, which took place around 2 AM on the morning of June 12.

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Orlando Mayor Bobby Dyer said:

June 12 was the darkest day in our City’s history and a day that will forever be reserved to honour the memory of the 49 innocent lives taken from us too soon. This tragedy has deeply impacted our LGBTQ+, Latinx, other communities of colour and our entire City.

Since the morning of June 12, 2016, we have come together to honor the victims, support their families and the survivors and thank our first responders in so many ways.

Following the Pulse tragedy, we showed the world that Orlando would not be defined by the act of a hate-filled killer, but instead defined by our response of love, compassion and unity. I am so proud that we are Orlando United.”

Florida Governor Rick Scott said:

The horrific terror attack at Pulse attempted to rip at the seams of our society, strike fear in our hearts and divide us. Yet, in the face of extreme adversity and loss, Floridians showed resiliency, bravery and love. Over the past year, our state, the city of Orlando and the many Floridians affected by this tragedy have shown incredible resolve as we continue to mourn the loved and lost.

As we pause to honour the 49 victims of this tragic attack this Monday, my wife and I will say a prayer for each of them and their families.

We will also be reminded of all the people who helped others in need. The law enforcement officers, first responders, medical personnel, faith and spiritual leaders and Central Florida families defined what Florida is all about. We care about each other and we came together when it was needed the most.

This was an attack on Orlando, our state, the Hispanic community and on the LGBTQ community. It left a solemn impact on our state that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”

A number of events are being held throughout the city Monday, including two remembrance ceremonies for the general public at the club at 1912 S. Orange Ave.

Guests scheduled for the 11 a.m. event include the Orlando Gay Chorus, Mayor Buddy Dyer, Mayor Teresa Jacobs, the Rev. Terri Prayer, some of the first responders and live music.

The evening service at 10 p.m. at Pulse will feature songs, prayers, inspirational dance, reflection and music.

An event called Orlando Love: Remembering Our Angels is also set for the Lake Eola Park Amphitheater at 7 p.m. and will feature musical performances and remarks by community leaders.

The expanded One Orlando Collection and Digital Gallery will be open at The Orange County History Center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday. Admission is free.

Sia’s ‘The Greatest’ Video Pays Tribute To Orlando Shooting Victims

This week Sia surprised us, with the release of new track The Greatest, featuring Kendrick Lamar her favourite dancing muse Maddie Ziegler – though this time, she’s not alone.

The video, which opens to a black screen with the hashtag #WeAreYourChildren typed in white font, sees Ziegler accompanied by a large sum of dancers (49 in total), which is said to represent the 49 lives lost in the shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse.

The video’s setting – a nightclub with bullet holes in the wall – along with Ziegler’s rainbow face paint, is also thought to in memory of those lost their lives in the horrific act.

Following its release, one of the video’s dancers, Matt Moseley, posted a screen grab to Instagram with the caption “49 beautiful lives lost. This is for you. #WeAreYourChildren.”

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Others have since taken to Twitter, using the hashtag to aggregate thoughts on the video and its emotional context.

The video concludes with the young dancers moving and shaking in what vaguely represents a nightclub setting, before all falling to the ground, which in turn exposes the bullet-pierced wall behind them. No one from Sia’s team has yet confirmed or revealed the meaning behind the video.

Re-watch below:

‘GAYCATION’ Is Back For A Second Season

One of our favourite queer programmes is back everyone! Season 2 of Gaycation will premiere on Wednesday September 7th and for those of you that have never seen it before, it’s well worth tuning in for.

Gaycation explores all the different LGBTQ cultures in different countries and they talk to people who share their stories of their own queer communities and what life is like for them as a member of the LGBTQ community. In season one the duo visited Japan, Brazil, Jamaica and the USA.

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Viceland, the network that produces Gaycation, also sent Ellen and Ian to Orlando after the massacre that took place in the queer nightclub, Pulse, to see how the community were coping. The one off special was released a few weeks ago and is available to watch now.

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In season two the pair will visit India, Ukraine and Georgia, where they get first hand responses from a vairiety of people, including a policeman in Georgia that tells them there are no laws against ‘hate crime’ even though they get reports of it happening every day. While in Ukraine one interviewee expresses his opinion that ‘homosexuality is a sin’ and is ‘abnormal.’

Ellen, who is out, recently told Indiewire during an interview:

Hopefully Season 2 is just us expanding, going deeper, and always trying to go farther and be able to address the issues and find the stories that don’t often have an opportunity to be heard.”

Gaycation was also nominated in June for a primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. So get the date in your dairies girls and let’s discover more about our worldwide community and how others live and cope, sometimes in countries that have little, or no tolerance, towards our fellow LGBTQ community members.

Ellen Page Visits Survivors And Families Of Victims Of Pulse Shooting (Video)

Out actress Ellen Page and her best friend / co – host of Gaycation, Ian Daniel return to television this month with a powerful special which was filmed in Orlando follwoing the shooting at Pulse nightclub.

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The Emmy-nominated reality series has us around the world to see LGBTQ cultures, but the visit to Orlando packs a very personal punch that is evident even in just the few scenes released so far.

Their aim with this Viceland special is to shed some light on the community that was so viciously devastated, and reveal how the seeds of love are building-up that community, both LGBTQ and beyond.

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Previously on the show, Page explored the gay scene in Japan, confronted a Brazil cop who boasts about killing gay people, and showed up at a Ted Cruz meeting and asked the ex-presidential candidate some tough questions about LGBT rights.

Gaycation‘s Orlando episode will air on Viceland on August 24.

Tegan and Sara Premiere Their “Faint of Heart” Music Video, With An Epic LGBTQ Lip Sync Battle

Tegan and Sara have released the video for ‘Faint Of Heart’, the fourth single taken from recent album ‘Love You To Death’.

The video stars LGBTQ youth in-character as musicians traditionally cherished as community icons: Elvis, Madonna, Prince, David Bowie, Grace Jones, and Tegan and Sara themselves. The real Tegan and Sara sit in the audience, cheering on the young performers.

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According to Teen Vogue, where the video premiered, happened to be filmed the day after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In that atmosphere, its creation felt particularly emotional.

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Tegan Quin told the magazine.

There was something very personal about this tragedy and that was undoubtably on our minds as we arrived on set. I felt honored to be included… which sounds silly since it was a music video for our band.”

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From the second we walked in, I felt incredibly emotional. The cast was so young, so excited, so talented, so friendly and so diverse. It was clear this video was going to be very special. I felt honored to be included… which sounds silly since it was a music video for our band. But from the second we arrived, my brain recognized the music video as something we were doing together with our community to present the bravery, the talent, the love, the art, and the connection we all have, rather than just a vehicle for our music — which was a relief. It might be hyperbolic to say this, but I think it altered how we looked at how we were going to proceed in our career. The video had meaning, and that felt very important in that moment of time.”

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The video’s director Devon Kirkpatrick told Autostraddle, said he hoped to highlight the LGBTQ community with this video.

As a non-binary director myself, it’s important to me to be a part of creating opportunities that highlight the talents of the LGBT and specifically trans and GNC community. To cast trans and GNC young people as icons that helped to push the gender binary was especially gratifying. We cast two queer identified trans girls as Tegan and Sara themselves. It felt especially important to create a space that reflects inclusiveness.”

 

In Show Of Unity, North American Leaders Push For LGBTQ Rights

Canada, the United States and Mexico are expected to pledge to do more to protect LGBTQ rights both in North America and abroad.

According to the Torstar News Service, senior Canadian sources (unable to speak on the record while negotiations are continuing) say the three countries are working to include a call for greater protection for LGBTQ rights in the three leaders’ joint statement.

The push comes after the deadliest mass shooting in American history, when a gunman murdered 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando earlier this month.

It also comes as Mexican President, Enrique Peno Nieto, moves forward with legislation to legalize same-sex marriage across his country.

Recognizing LGBTQ rights has been a “significant” conversation with the Mexican delegation, sources told Torstar.

Another source said the issue was discussed both officially, as well as on the margins of a state dinner thrown for Pena Nieto at Rideau Hall Tuesday night.

The Mexican delegation was not immediately available for comment.

Speaking on the International Day Against Homophobia in May, Pena Nieto said he wants to amend the constitution to allow-same sex marriage nation-wide.

Some jurisdictions in Mexico, including Mexico City, already have equal marriage rights.

The initiative has been opposed by Mexico’s Catholic church. Rev. Hugo Valdemar, a spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City, told the Associated Press in May that legislators should listen to their “conscience.”

The Mexican president has also faced pressure on his four-day visit to Canada over his country’s human rights record.

Amnesty International has urged Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to raise human rights issues, particularly violence against women, in bilateral talks with Pena Nieto.

Trudeau is set to become the first Canadian prime minister to march in Toronto’s Pride parade this weekend.

Early in their mandate, his government made a few gestures towards Canada’s LGBTQ community, including raising the Pride flag on Parliament Hill, and they introduced legislation to extend human rights protections for transgender Canadians.

President Barack Obama has also earned praise from rights advocates. Over the course of his presidency, Obama oversaw the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on service by gays and lesbians in the military, appointed a number of LGBTQ judges and ambassadors, and extended hate crime laws, according to advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.

Stars United To Honour The Orlando Victims (Video)

In the past weeks, the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando has weighed heavily on all of our thoughts.

With 49 victims, the hashtag #SayTheirNames has served as a way to memorialise those who lost their lives.

However, now Ryan Murphy (the man behind Glee and American Horror Story) has directed a tribute video for HRC, featuring actors of both shows, along with a host of other A List stars, in a touching tribute to honour the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando.

In the video, 49 celebs wear black and sit against a black backdrop, each one reciting a brief biography of one of the victims.

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Lady Gaga, Caitlyn Jenner, Matt Bomer, and Laverne Cox are just a few of the many names who came together to tell these stories. They also use the platform to call for an end to hate crimes and gun violence.

“Dear World, We’re Not Afraid” – Orlando Survivors Speak-Out (Video)

Survivors of the Orlando massacre have released a video telling the world they are not afraid.

In light of the Orlando Shooting, we think it’s important, more than ever, to stand tall and show love and give hope to the LGBT community.

Put together by youtuber, Arielle Scarcella, the video tells a story about LGBT people struggling with coming out and the world’s reaction.

My all the things that closet has seen. Inside it was dark small and lonely, but so much life has happened outside of that closet. For the LGBT community, that life often comes with judgement. At their core, judgement and hate are simply fear.”

The video also features survivors who send a message a powerful message about love following the attack.

Our LGBT community is resilient. Out of great sadness, love is born. We thrive, not because we are not afraid of hate but because we are not afraid of love.”

 

 

Ellen Page Talks About The Orlando Shooting And Gun Control With Chelsea Handler

Ellen Page was a special guests on Chelsea Handler’s self-titled Netflix show Chelsea – joining The Brady Bunch actress Florence Henderson and Chelsea’s favourite, second-grade teacher Mrs. Schectman.

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The subjects discusses included Ellen’s Viceland show Gaycation, the importance of having quality educators teaching the next generation, and gun control in America, especially in light of the recent shooting early Sunday at Orlando’s gay nightclub Pulse, a tragedy that claimed 49 lives .

Chelsea said.

Whether you believe in guns or not, whatever we’re doing isn’t working, so we all have to have the conversation and continue to have the conversation on how to fix this country, and what we can do.

They (guns) should be banned. People argue back and forth on Twitter anytime you make a comment. People say ‘What about the Second Amendment?’ but these are assault weapons. You shouldn’t have to have an assault weapon to defend yourself. At some point, having the Second Amendment shouldn’t supersede your right to go out to a dance club and have a good night. You shouldn’t have to be armed.”

Ellen added to Chelsea’s comments on gun control

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The reality is that violence towards LGBT people is a common thing. Hate crimes towards LGBT people, extremely anti-gay, anti-bi, anti-trans rhetoric that is constantly creating a poisonous environment, which leads to people hating themselves, and to people being violent towards one another, towards bullying, towards abuse. It really needs to stop, because people are really, really struggling, and they deserve to live freely and love freely, and not be afraid.”

Ellen Page’s appearance on Chelsea will be streaming on Netflix at 12:01 a.m. PST this Thursday.

Pulse Owner Vows To Reopen Nightclub: ‘We Will Not Let Hate Win’

The owner of the Pulse gay nightclub, Barbara Poma, is speaking out for the first time since the mass shooting that took the lives of 49 people at the club.

Poma – who opened the club as a tribute to her gay brother who died of AIDS related illness – says she always saw the place as a “safe haven”.

In an emotional interview with NBC, she shared she ‘can’t stop imagining what it was like.’

She also described the moment she found out about the shootings.

When my manager called me, he just kept yelling into the phone ‘We have a shooter. We have a shooter.’”

Poma also highlights how family was an important part of the club – which has been running since 13 years.

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Since the club opened, the owner says she wanted to create a platform that reached out to the gay community in Orlando.

During her interview, she said the families of the people who were now a part of the club’s family too, stressing the importance of keeping the “heartbeat and spirit alive”.

The future of the club is uncertain, but Poma says she wants to remember all the wonderful things that happened there.

She did not speak about the gunman because “it’s important to never let hate win.”

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The club was in honour of one soul that was lost and now there are 49 others that have lost their lives.

It has to do with your heartbeat. Your life. You have to keep the heartbeat alive.”

 

Anderson Cooper Pays Emotional Tribute To Victims Of The Orlando Massacre

Last night, less than 48 hours after the deadliest terror attack on American soil since 9/11, Anderson Cooper began his prime time program with a tribute to the 49 lives lost in the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting.

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Noting that his broadcast would neither display photos nor mention the name of the dead gunman, the CNN anchor emotionally listed the names of those killed in the attack at Pulse nightclub as their names scrolled on the ticker at the bottom of the screen.

In the next two hours, we want to try to keep the focus where we think it belongs, on the people whose lives were cut short.”

The tribute lasted nearly seven minutes, and paired facts and faces to those victims who were still being identified as late as Monday night.

They are more than a list of names. They are people who loved and who were loved,”

As of this morning (June 14), the city of Orlando had released the following names of victims on its website.

Ruby Rose Pays Tribute To The Victims Of The Orlando Nightclub Shooting Just A Week After She Performed There

Ruby Rose has shared an emotional social media post after the horrific Orlando mass shooting, revealing she performed at the club where 50 people were slain only last week.

Woke up in tears to hear the news about Orlando. Devastated, heartbroken, sick. I played there last Friday and last night I performed after Pride in LA. From the DJ booth you see laughter, love, dancing freedom and beautiful people living their lives not harming anyone. It’s one of the beautiful things to see from stage.

This horrific tragedy has me on my knees at the mercy of a greater power to ask the simple question of ‘When will this end’ … I’m praying for Orlando, I’m crying for Orlando and I am there with you in spirit sending my love and strength.”

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Obama Nails Why America Shouldn’t Ignore The Fact The Orlando Shooting Was At An LGBTQ Club

The mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando Sunday morning, which killed at least 50 people, wasn’t just the deadliest mass shooting in American history — it’s the also the deadliest act of anti-LGBTQ violence.

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On Sunday afternoon, President Obama addressed not only America, but also the world and highlighted what made this most recent act of terror unique.
This attack happened during LGBT Pride Month, a celebration that arose from violence, particularly police brutality, against LGBTQ people.

This is an especially heartbreaking day for all our friends — our fellow Americans — who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live.

The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub — it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.”

The president is right. Our LGBT nightclubs and bars have been much more than just spaces to have fun on a Friday night. These venues are where people have organized, protested, pushed for progress, and found safe spaces amid a hostile outside world.

This wasn’t just an attack on Americans writ large — it was an attack on the freedoms that LGBTQ people have rallied for decades.

The president also used his speech to highlight the continued need to act against gun violence.

Sunday morning’s tragedy — the deadliest shooting in American history — is yet another example of why rampant gun violence in the U.S. is a uniquely American phenomenon.

This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.”

Hillary Clinton also shared a similar message. While reaffirming her support to toughen up gun control efforts, Clinton condemned the Orlando nightclub shooting as an act of “terror” and “hate” in a statement Sunday.

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I join Americans in praying for the victims of the attack in Orlando, their families and the first responders who did everything they could to save lives. This is a time to stand together and resolve to do everything we can to defend our communities and country.”

She also identified herself as an ally of LGBT Americans in the statement. The mass shooting—the deadliest in American history—occurred at a gay nightclub.

We will keep fighting for your right to live freely, openly and without fear,” she said. “Hate has absolutely no place in America.”

Ellen DeGeneres, Madonna, Lady Gaga And More React To Pulse Nightclub Massacre

Dozens of high-profile artists, politicians and prominent members of the queer community have taken to social media to voice their horror at this weekend’s massacre, which left 50 patrons dead at Pulse, a prominent gay nightclub in Orlando.

While some celebrities simply offered their condolences and emphasized their support of the victims and their families, many others demanded the reform of U.S. gun laws, a move they insist could prevent future violent deaths.

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Death Toll Rises In Orlando Mass Shooting As Shooter Identified

More than a hundred people have been confirmed dead or injured after the mass shooting in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.

The rising number makes the atrocity the worst shooting in American history.

Omar Mateen was named as the shooter in the incident, which killed at least 50.

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The US citizen’s parents are from Afghanistan, and FBI agent Ron Hopper spoke to reporters to say that he may have leanings towards Islamic extremism.

The shooter, a resident of Port St Lucie, Florida, was killed after a “gun battle” with police officers in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mateen’s father has apologised for the incident, saying he did not think his son was religiously motivated.

He also said that his son, 29, got angry a few months ago after he saw two men kiss in Orlando.

The shooter, a resident of Port St Lucie, Florida, was killed after a “gun battle” with police officers in the early hours of Sunday morning.

His identity was revealed by CBS News, the Washington Post, and NBC News. The BBC suggests that although he was not on a terrorist watch-list, he may have been being investigated for a previous crime.

As well as a White House statement condemning the attack, which authorities described as a “terrorist incident”,  an appeal was put out for O Negative, O Positive and AB Plasma blood donors.

The White House statement read:

The President was briefed this morning by Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, on the tragic shooting in Orlando, Florida. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information, and directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer described the crime as “horrific” at a press conference this morning.

An Orange County Sherriff described the incident as a “domestic terrorist incident”, which was confirmed by the FBI, a spokesman said: “Domestic or international, it’s terrorism”.

It was confirmed that an officer attended the Pulse club and engaged with a “gun battle” with a shooter who was using an assault rifle and a pistol.

This turned into a hostage situation. Multiple officers from various agencies responded.

The shooter was organised and well prepared. He is not from this area”

Multiple officers from local, state and federal agencies responded to the incident at the club, where approximately 320 people were in attendance.

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At approx 05:00 this morning the decision was made to rescue hostages after people phoned police from the toilets in the nightclub. The police drove a truck through the wall in order to distract the gunman.

The nightclub posted on its Facebook page as the shooting unfolded: “Everyone get out of pulse and keep running”.

Updates about the Pulse nightclub shooting are being added to the Associated Press website on the link below.

Orlando Nightclub Shooting: At Least 50 Dead And 53 Injured After Gunman Opens Fire In Gay Club

Police have confirmed that 50 people have been killed and some 53 injured in a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Orlando Police at the scene in Pulse nightclub have confirmed the shooter is now dead. The attacker reportedly entered the nightclub at around 2am on Saturday night and began “non-stop firing”. There were more than 100 people in the venue at the time.

Police have called it an act of terrorism, but said they did not yet know if it was domestic or international.

Relatives have been gathering at local hospitals desperate for news.

Many had received calls and texts from loved ones inside the club as the siege began, and some have heard nothing since.

Pulse clubber Christopher Hanson described the scene to CNN:

It was like, bang, bang, bang, bang. I didn’t see any of the actual shooters. I just saw bodies going down.

I fell down. I crawled out. People were trying to escape out the back. I just know that when I hit the ground, I was crawling and I hit my elbows and my knees. When I got across the street, there were people with blood everywhere.”

Orlando recently wrapped up its annual weeklong Gay Days festival on June 6 in which up to 150,000 in the LGBT community attend area theme parks, gay nightclubs and special events. It was the 25th anniversary of Gay Days. It is one of the largest gay pride events in the world.

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The gunman’s motive was not clear but police said it was not connected to the murder of Christina Grimmie, a singer on the TV show “The Voice” who was shot dead when she was signing autographs after a concert in Orlando on Friday night.

Updates about the Pulse nightclub shooting are being added to the Associated Press website on the link below.