Tag: Pulse Nightclub

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On The 5th Anniversary Of The Pulse Nightclub Massacre

The 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting
In the five years since the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting massacre, there have been a LOT of prayers and thoughts sent out for those affected by gun violence. Unfortunately, that’s close to all we’ve gotten. In a country that polls show support commonsense gun legislation (background checks, no guns for those on the ‘no-fly’ list) to the tune of almost 90 percent, politicians are still afraid of the 3 million-member National Rifle Association. Five years ago today, 49 innocent people lost their lives in what was, at the time, the deadliest shooting massacre in the history of the country. Additionally, 53 more were injured. On that night, a gay nightclub, one of our safe spaces, became a war zone and an emergency room. One of the most chilling reports to emerge during the aftermath of the attack came from CNN which noted that first responders and investigators had to force themselves to tune out the cacophony of ringing phones coming from the 49 bodies. Clearly, their loved ones were trying to see if they were alright. “All those people, their phones kept ringing,” said the reporter. I remember that grim detail hitting me like a dagger. But on October 1, 2017, my town of Las Vegas became the target of the new ‘deadliest’ gun massacre in U.S. history. I was home watching TV with my husband and suddenly my phone began ringing and pinging, over and over. People from all over the country were checking in on me. I suddenly remembered that CNN report from Pulse Nightclub. And I felt an even deeper visceral chill. As I reported earlier this week, Congress has approved designating the site of Pulse Nightclub a national monument and President Biden will sign that action into law when he returns from abroad. Since the Pulse shooting, there have been more mass shootings and more unnecessary deaths. And still we wait for any meaningful gun legislation. There will be a streaming remembrance ceremony today at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. You can watch below via YouTube.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DNC Secretary Jason Rae and DNC LGBTQ Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes released the following statement:

“Five years ago, our nation wept as 49 lives were taken in a senseless act of violence. We lost siblings and children, cousins and friends. But we turned our mourning into a vibrant movement for reform. Gun safety is an LGBTQ issue, plain and simple. President Biden and Democrats know we must honor those lost at Pulse with action and pass gun safety legislation to finally put an end to mass shootings across our nation.

“We must also finally address the growing epidemic of violence that leaves countless transgender and gender non-conforming people afraid of losing their lives. In 2021, we have already lost 28 transgender and gender non-conforming people, almost entirely transgender women of color, putting us on track for the deadliest year on record. President Biden is committed to ending the violence, achieving equality and protecting the LGBTQ community. Today, we renew our commitment to making possible a world where LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ people of color, are valued, loved and safe.”

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

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Congress Designates Pulse Nightclub A National Monument

Photo from the front of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida

Photo from the front of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida Days before the fifth anniversary of the horrific Pulse nightclub shooting, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved designating the site of the former nightclub as a national memorial. The House version of the bill, HR 49, passed on a voice vote on May 12. From the Orlando Sentinel:

Forty-nine people were killed and dozens more injured in the June 12 LGBTQ+ nightclub shooting, which is among the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

A similar bill passed the U.S. House last year but stalled in the Senate. This year’s bill still has to be signed into law by President Joe Biden before the designation becomes official.

The national designation does not incorporate the memorial into the National Park system and it does not require the monument to receive federal funds.

The onePULSE Foundation, a nonprofit founded in the wake of the shooting, plans to build the National Pulse Memorial & Museum in Orlando over the next few years. Preliminary designs for the memorial and museum incorporate the remains of the club into a garden with a reflecting pool and 49 trees, with the open-air museum planned for construction a half-mile away.

Scott Bowman, a spokesman for onePULSE Foundation, issued a statement Wednesday that onePULSE was “thrilled” about the memorial’s national designation. “The unanimous consent is such welcome news as we are set to mark the five-year remembrance of the Pulse tragedy,” said Bowman. “This recognition from both the House and Senate means so much to the LGBTQ+ community.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CP7AK9MLhv4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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‘Lost Spaces’ Podcast Remembers The Pulse Nightclub Massacre

Lost Spaces seeks to explore what is lost when queer spaces no longer exist, recognizing their importance in helping people to explore their own identity and develop relationships and a sense of community. The LGBTQ-themed podcast Lost Spaces, hosted by K Anderson, speaks to a different person each week about a lost queer space from their past, what they got up to there, and how it helped to shape the person they’ve become. Launched in 2019, Lost Spaces seeks to explore what is lost when queer spaces no longer exist, recognizing their importance in helping people to explore their own identity and develop relationships and a sense of community. This week Anderson remembers the horrific Pulse Nightclub massacre, the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. in over a decade.

Today we are talking about Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which on June 12, 2016, became the site of the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks of 2001. And, the repercussions were felt worldwide – I remember how shocking and terrifying it was to hear about this happening in a country like America.

But, before it was the sight of this tragedy Pulse was a place where people came to meet likeminded queer folks, dance, be messy and forget their regular lives.

I caught up with leukemia warrior and makeup artist Jared Lipscomb, who grew up in Orlando to talk about body image, first times and why that space will always have a special place in his heart. In lots of ways this is a very serious episode because we’re talking about a horrific incident, but in other ways it’s very joyous as we talk about what made the place special.

Hit the play button below. Click over to LostSpacesPodcast.com for more.

 

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News Round-Up: June 26, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • The Gaily Grind: The U.S. House unanimously passed a bill Friday that would establish the Pulse nightclub in Orlando as a national memorial site, four years after a gunman opened fire on hundreds of people inside the club, killing 49 LGBTQ Americans and wounding dozens more. • Texas Tribune: Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday expressed regret for the first time about the reopening process he spearheaded during the coronavirus pandemic, saying he should not have allowed bars to open as quickly. “If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the opening of bars, now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting,” Abbott said. • New Music: The late Harry Hains, a compelling musician, actor (best known for American Horror Story, The OA) as well as artist and model, didn’t define himself by the constructs surrounding us, and his concept of ANTIBOY offers a portal into an age of existence where there is complete unparalleled freedom to live without preconceptions and societal labels. At a time when society is rising up to break down old systems and demanding equality for all, Harry’s personal perspective of the intersection of sexuality, gender, race, and self-expression endures because of its cultural relevance.

• NY Times: In the middle of a world-wide pandemic, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act — a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans. • NPR: Donald Trump’s disapproval numbers are at an all-time high, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Trump’s approval rating sits at just 40% overall, while a record 58% disapprove. What’s more, a whopping 49% of voters “strongly disapprove” of the job Trump is doing. That kind of intensity of disapproval is a record never before seen for this president or any past one. • Twitter: Add another musical group not having Donald Trump use their music at his rallies. Brendon Urie, lead singer for Panic! At The Disco, made it short and sweet in tweeting his disgust at the Trump campaign for using one his band’s song during its MAGA rally in Phoenix this week. “Dear Trump campaign,” Urie wrote on Twitter. “F*ck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song. No thanks, Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco & company.”

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Pulse Nightclub Survivors Host ‘Ex-Gay’ Rally In Orlando

Over the weekend, two survivors of the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, hosted a rally promising ‘deliverance to the LGBTQ community through religion.’ According to the Orlando Sentinel, tens of people gathered at the rainbow amphitheater at Lake Eola Park. Members of the group Changed Movement told the attendees that they have “chosen identity in Christ” over being homosexual. The rally, which was staged much like a religious service, included testimonials from members who say they left the LGBTQ ‘lifestyle’ after finding religion. Among them were Luis Javier Ruiz, 36, (above) and Angel Colon, 29, who survived the Pulse massacre on June 12, 2016, which left 49 dead and 53 more injured. Since the deadly shooting, the two say they have become heterosexual through religion. After healing from their injuries, the two founded Fearless Identity, a religious ministry which, according to the official website, promises to bring “hope and understanding to the LGBTQ community and the church through education, biblical clarity, and support in a judgement free environment for those seeking the option to change.” The duo promise, however, that the ‘option to change’ is not about so-called conversion therapy. Ruiz made a point of underscoring that message at the rally on Saturday telling those gathered, “I want to make a public declaration: This is not conversion therapy, this is not electrotherapy, this is not shock therapy.” “This is all the Holy Spirit, this is the man that died on the cross,” he continued. “This man never cheated on me, never slept with my best friend. He’s the man on the cross.”

Prior to the so-called ‘Freedom March,’ LGBTQ advocates in Orange County called for a statewide ban on conversion therapy. Brandon Wolf, another survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and an LGBTQ advocate, attended a county commission meeting last week asking his local leaders to “take a stand against conversion therapy.” And Wayne Besen, of Truth Wins Out, which works to expose conversion therapy and the ‘ex-gay myth,’ interviewed Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan who shared her own painful experience with conversion therapy.

“I knew I was attracted to women, but I thought I could pray the gay away,” said Sheehan, the first openly gay elected official in central Florida. Sheehan told Besen that, as a teen, she attended a church that promoted ‘ex-gay’ therapy During meetings with the group, Sheehan was promised that an orange mucous was going to “emanate from me as the demon of homosexuality left my body.” Sheehan told Truth Wins Out her message to people considering taking part in an ‘ex-gay’ ministry program is to “get some counseling outside of the church and really get a handle on where you are at, because I think they will take advantage of you, they will make you dependent and they will not do what’s in your best interest.”

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Survivors Of Pulse Massacre To Headline ‘Ex-Gay’ Event In Orlando

Pulse Nightclub massacre survivor Luis Javier Ruiz

Pulse Nightclub massacre survivor Luis Javier Ruiz
Luis Javier Ruiz (image via Facebook)
Two survivors of the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting who say they are no longer gay have been announced to headline an “ex-gay” rally in Orlando, Florida. Luis Javier Ruiz and Angel Colon will take part in the so-called “Freedom March” scheduled to take place September 14 at Orlando’s Lake Eloa Park, located just minutes from the site of Pulse Nightclub. As Newsweek reports, organizers of the event say the point of the rally is to celebrate “freedom from homosexual/transgender lifestyles by the grace and power of Jesus Christ.” The Freedom March organization has held similar events across the U.S. The most recent rally was held in St. Paul, Minnesota, in June 2019. Both Ruiz and Colon say they no longer identify as gay. At the Freedom March in Washington, D.C. in May, Ruiz told NBC News, “I don’t want to tell everyone it’s a ‘gay-to-straight’ thing because God is not calling me to that.” “I feel that I want to live in a life of purity,” he added. “I feel that through loving Christ, he will walk me out of any situation. I love the LGBTQ community, I love my family. There’s no hate here—there’s love.” During the Pulse massacre, Colon was reportedly shot six times and was trampled by club-goers trying to escape the shooter. It would be two months before he would be able to walk again. Colon recently appeared on a Christian podcast, The Roys Report, where he told the host the shooting was the impetus for him to renounce homosexuality. “A couple months before June, I started praying to God and I told him, ‘Lord, You know my situation, You know my heart, You know I want to worship you. But I cannot do it on my own will,” he told host Julie Roys. “Please help me come back to you.” And according to Colon, on June 12, at 2:02 a.m., “everything just changed in an instant.” The two men have also founded an organization called ‘Fearless Identity,’ which encourages people to “reject their LGBT identities.” According to Newsweek, forming the group was the mens’ response to backlash for identifying as ex-gay. Ruiz posted this video to YouTube where he explains being diagnosed as HIV-positive was what pushed him to ‘reject’ being gay.

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Florida Lawmakers Propose Declaring Pulse Nightclub A Federal Landmark

The temporary memorial at Pulse Nightclub

As the nation remembers the tragedy of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, three years ago today, Florida lawmakers in Congress have begun plans to have the nightclub declared a national monument.

CNN reports that during a memorial ceremony on Monday, Reps. Stephanie Murphy, Val Demings and Darren Soto shared their plans to sponsor landmark legislation, H.R. 3094. Soto said he would like to see the legislation pass by June 2020.

The local non-profit OnePulse Foundation would retain control of the design and construction, but the designation would make the monument eligible for federal funds as part of the National Park System.

If passed, work to build a permanent memorial would begin by 2021.

In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, lone gunman Omar Mateen entered Pulse Nightclub and opened fire killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 more. During the crisis, Mateen told police he considered himself a soldier of ISIS.

At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Two years later, a temporary memorial in front of the nightclub.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Tuesday commemorating June 12 as Pulse Remembrance Day, and directed all state flags in the state to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.

Here’s part of the memorial service and announcement held on Monday:

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News Round-Up: July 27, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Paleontologist and InstaHunk Francesc Gascó (above) is hot. That’s all I got. Happy Friday!

• A new study by AARP of over 1,700 gay men in the U.S. found most gay men over 45 are single.

• Folks were surprised when the Stonewall Democratic Club in NY chose to endorse Gov. Andrew Cuomo instead of out lesbian challenger Cynthia Nixon.

• Did Donald Trump use the Pulse Nightclub shooting massacre to cover up Don Jr.’s meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian government attorney turning out to be a dud?

• Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called Donald Trump’s proposed transgender military ban “the dumbest government policy you could possibly pursue, and it weakens us and hurts our military.”

• The world famous Nob Hill Theater, the world’s oldest male strip club, is closing.

• Recording artist Lizzo has released a new single and music video, “Boys.” The video premiered on Out.com who declared, “’Boys’ feels remarkably fresh — a fitting clapback to any stragglers who still feel women can’t express sexuality and lust.” Check it out below.

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Remembering The 49 Lost In The Pulse Nightclub Shooting

In the two years since the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting massacre, there have been a LOT of prayers and thoughts sent out for those affected by gun violence. Unfortunately, that’s close to all we’ve gotten. In a country that polls show support commonsense gun legislation (background checks, no guns for those on the ‘no-fly’ list) to the tune of almost 90% politicians are still afraid of the 3 million-member National Rifle Association. Two years ago today, 49 innocent people lost their lives in what was, at the time, the deadliest shooting massacre in the history of the country. Additionally, 53 more were injured. On that night, the gay nightclub, one of our safe spaces, became a war zone and an emergency room. Since the Pulse shooting, there have been more mass shootings and more unnecessary deaths. And still we wait.

From DNC chairman Tom Perez:

“Two years ago, our nation witnessed one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. It was an attack on the LGBTQ community, the Latinx community, and LGBTQ people of color everywhere. It was an attack on the American people and the values of diversity and equality that all of us should cherish. And it was an all too common reminder that our nation is in dire need of common sense gun reforms.

“On this anniversary, let us honor the lives lost that night by recommitting ourselves to the fight for a world where no one faces discrimination, where no life is taken by hatred or bigotry, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity – no matter who they are or who they love. As we celebrate Pride Month, we recognize that the fight for LGBTQ equality is far from over, and the Democratic Party will continue to stand with LGBTQ communities in America and around the world who are fighting for the rights they deserve.”

From Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin:

“Every day, we carry forward the memories of the 49 people whose lives were cruelly and tragically taken at Pulse.”

“As our nation marks two years since this tragedy, we must never lose sight of the unfulfilled hopes, the families shattered and the love lost in this preventable act of mass murder. The thousands more killed by gun violence since Pulse underscores the glaring failure of our elected officials to take common sense steps to combat the scourge of gun violence that plagues our nation.

“We remain as resolved as ever to honor those taken with action, and to work with our coalition partners to ensure that lifesaving steps are finally taken so that all of us may live safe from violence.”

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

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Orlando: Interim Memorial Honoring Victims & Survivors Of Pulse Nightclub Shooting Unveiled

The new interim memorial for the victims and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting was unveiled yesterday in Orlando, Florida.

The tribute features panels and murals honoring not only the 49 victims of the deadly shooting which took place on June 12, 2016, but the families, first responders and community members who came together in the aftermath of the tragedy.

According to Pulse nightclub owner and foundation founder Barbara Poma, every aspect of the design came directly from those affected by the shooting.

“Everything you will experience here is intentional,” Poma told the press. “It has purpose.”

Photos, commemorative art and images of LGBTQ pride left behind by visitors for almost two years, are now on display on the wall that surrounds the former nightclub. Visitors can leave messages on a digital board in front of the main mural.

Additionally, the iconic Pulse fountain, which had been badly damaged during the shooting, has been rebuilt.

After a dedication ceremony, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, told the Orlando Sentinel the temporary memorial would give survivors of the shooting, as well as the Orlando community, a more appropriate setting to reflect.

“As a gay, Latino man who lives here in Orlando there’s no way that this tragedy couldn’t have been deeply deeply personal for me,” Smith said. “We can’t forget what happened here on the darkest day of our city’s history. It’s also part of our world and human history.”

This tribute will remain until the permanent memorial and museum designs are selected.