Page 9 - Seattle Gay News

Seattle Candlelight Vigil

by Shaun Knittel
those messages were sent to Pulse nightclub
SGN Associate Editor
so the survivors and their families, as well
Upon hearing news of the Orlando Pulse as the friends and family of the deceased,
Nightclub massacre, local leaders in the could read them. PrideFest set up the audio/
LGBTQ community immediately began to visual aspect of the event. There are many
plan for a candlelight vigil for the evening of more who lent a hand, donated something,
June 20, at Cal Anderson Park. Seattle May- or helped in whatever way they could to pull
or Ed Murray, undoubtedly also a leader in off one of the most visually stunning and
the LGBTQ community, and his adminis- emotionally charged events we’ve seen in
tration worked to coordinate efforts that ul- years.
timately saw thousands of people attend the Speakers included Seattle Mayor Ed
Seattle candlelight vigil to mourn the loss Murray and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee,
of life, to reaf rm our commitment to each joined by State Sen. Jamie Pedersen, com-
other and the world that Seattle’s LGBTQ munity leader Sarah Davis, Luis Fernando
community will never accept the slaughter Ramirez of Entre Hermanos, Monisha Har-
of our people and the stripping away of our rell of Equal Rights Washington, Michael
rights, and to call for a renewed ban on as- Ramos of the Church Council of Greater
sault weapons.
Seattle, Connie Burk of the NW Network,
Seattle’s LGBTQ community has a way and more.
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of coming together when it matters most The Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle
and the June 20 vigil is a testament to that. Women’s Chorus led the crowd in song,
Organizations like Gender Justice League, and at one point, a tear- lled count from
Entre Hermanos, and Equal Rights Wash- 1 to 53, in honor of the people who were
ington came together to provide speakers killed and injured during the Pulse attack,
at the event, help with logistics and spread which is now being characterized as the
the word that our community – as far away worst attack on the LGBTQ community in
as Orlando, Fla. – needed us. Social Out- American history, the second worst terrorist
reach Seattle (SOSea) provided hundreds attack on American soil in history, and an
of candles and set up a work station where anti-LGBTQ hate crime.
people could write messages of love, and

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Seattlere ned.com

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Seattletimes.com
Courtesy of Shaun Knittel

Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 9