Boston Pride block parties to honor Orlando shooting victims

“So we are proud and we’re going to show you”, said Nieckar, the festival co-chair. Her group has been selected as grand marshal.

Slayton said the management of Climax made a decision to keep the club open Sunday night for people to gather. “Everybody is suffering. I think we all kind of want to be together today”.

“We’re not going afraid”.

Boise Pridefest, Idaho’s largest LGBT pride event, is in the middle of its weeklong activities, where police officers are expected to have a strong presence. “And unfortunately we’re here to just band together under a disgusting tragedy, a senseless tragedy”, said Cunningham. And we’ve allowed them to be compromised and we have all compromised them, even if we didn’t mean to.

Hours before that announcement, one Portland man posted on Facebook: “I’m so shaken up watching this”.

The man later expressed relief, upon learning of Portland police plans to increase patrols.

The second vigil, a “Take Back the Night” event, is set to start at 8:15 p.m.at 1020 SW Naito Parkway, near the intersection of Naito and Salmon Street.

Like many Nevadans, Proto first heard about the shooting when she turned on the news Sunday morning. Many in the LGBT say this attack leaves them feeling violated.

Murphy said the shooting highlights how far LGBTQ Americans have to go to gain equal rights. “We condemn those who spread fear and hatred”, said Tory in an emailed statement June 12-a day after more than 50 people were murdered in what U.S. President Barack Obama declared an act of terror and hate.

“The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub”, he said.

Tory also said that security and police were working together to keep Pride Month in Toronto as safe as possible.

He also signed a proclamation on Sunday ordering flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Thursday in honour of the victims. In Miami, a gay community center offered grief counseling through Monday afternoon, with a prayer gathering and a town hall-style meeting planned in the evening.

“This is a meeting space, we came here to celebrate marriage equality so we would come here to mourn a loss as well”, said Triglianos, referring to the jubilant crowds that spontaneously gathered at the Greenwich Village bar a year ago to celebrate the Supreme Court’s marriage decision.

“I want to encourage everyone who wants to attend the festival to do that knowing we will be out in numbers to ensure your safety, ” said Chief Barnard.

ACLU Nevada Executive Director Tod Story said that although he was happy to see the community mobilizing, “it shouldn’t take a tragedy like this in order to bring people together, people should seek out ways to learn about each other”.

I’m certainly no saint; there’s certain aspects of the gay community that aren’t pretty, including the content barrage of a heteronormative aesthetic which I’ve not been adverse to in the past.