This past weekend, the worst mass shooting executed by a single individual in United States history took place in Orlando, Florida at a gay, Latin nightclub, starting hours after Brooklyn’s Pride parade had ended and ending in a bloody standoff hours before New York City’s Puerto Rican Day Parade kicked off.
The massacre, described CNN’s Brian Stelter as a “sick confluence” of an act of terror, a mass shooting and a hate crime, left 50 people dead and 53 wounded, and shook the nation early in the month traditionally dedicated to celebrating the hard-won victories of the county’s often marginalized LGBT communities.
For residents of Bushwick, home to one of New York City’s largest Latinx communities as well as a thriving queer community, this devastating news may hit close to home. Here’s how you can help and where you can go to commemorate the deceased.
Donate:
Blood donations are badly needed in Orlando, but if you’re in New York, two organizations working hard to support the survivors and families of the victims of the Orlando shooting are The Center Orlando and Equality Florida Action; more resources are detailed here.
Commemorate:
A vigil for Orlando will be held tonight at 6pm at the historic Stonewall Inn, at 53 Christopher Street (between Waverly Place and Seventh Avenue South) in the West Village. The site has been under heavy police protection since yesterday—a stark, moving contrast to the community-police relations that made Stonewall the birthplace of modern queer activism in 1969.
Additionally, at 5pm, the fifth annual Translatina March will take place in Queens, starting at 5pm at Make the Road New York’s Jackson Heights location at 92-10 Roosevelt Avenue (take 7 train to 90th St. – Elmhurst Ave). According to organizers, “The march will be open to all community members and allies interested in joining this march to give greater visibility to the important role of transgender women in Latino communities and the challenges they face.”
Are you organizing local events in support of Orlando? Let us know by emailing emilie at bushwick daily dot com with the information and we’ll add it to this piece.