Pulse Remembrance Day
Six years have passed since the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub. The tragedy occurred on Latino Night at the beloved Orlando, Florida gay bar on June 12th, 2016. Pulse was opened in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler, named in honor of Poma’s brother, John, who died from AIDS, for his "pulse to live on." The club focused on local talent, hosting many themed nights and local performers. According to the Washington Post, Pulse also served as "a community hub for HIV prevention, breast-cancer awareness and immigrant rights."
This week, we were once again rocked by the news of an active shooter in Uvalde, Texas. At least 21 people were victims of gun violence in an elementary school. Nineteen of them were children. And this comes less than two weeks after a violent white supremacist murdered 10 Black people in a supermarket in Buffalo, a man opened fire on a Taiwanese Christian church in another hate crime in Laguna Woods, California, and countless other daily shootings went unnoticed by a national media scrambling to keep up.
These stories are sobering as our nation continues to grapple with gun violence, and they are a stark reminder that we have so much work to do to help prevent these atrocities from continuing. Today and always, we remember the 49 people who were killed that night at pulse and honor their lives.
As we celebrate Pride month, it is imperative to take time to acknowledge the members of the LGBTQ+ community who we have lost to violence and take action in their memory.
Here are some ways to commemorate Pulse Remembrance Day and honor those who lost their lives:
Take action locally to help advance gun reform such as supporting ballot measures like Petition 17 from Lift Every Voice Oregon .
Read Orlando Weekly’s profiles of the 49 people who were killed on June 12th, 2016.
Attend the virtual discussion event: How to Talk With Children About Pulse Remembrance Week and Why It Matters. Hosted by the Orlando Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center, with onePULSE Foundation Founder Barbara Poma and featuring Keith Newhouse, the author of My Tio’s Pulse, an award-winning children’s book inspired by the Pulse nightclub tragedy.
Visit the OnePulse Foundation website to sign up for updates regarding the permanent memorial space and museum slated to open later this year in Orlando.
