10 Years Since Pulse: We Honor The 49 With Action
Today Equality Florida marks 10 years since a man filled with hate walked into Pulse Nightclub, an LGBTQ safe space, and stole 49 beautiful lives from us. Many were young, queer people of color. They had dreams, plans, and futures ahead of them. Those futures were stolen in an act of unimaginable violence. As we remember the 49, we also recommit ourselves to the promise we made ten years ago: to honor them with action and build a future where every person, including LGBTQ people, can live safely, openly, and freely.
Equality Florida responds to the 10 years since Pulse:
“In the wake of Pulse, we witnessed the extraordinary spirit of Orlando Strong — people choosing love over hate, unity over fear, and action over despair," said Stratton Pollitzer, Executive Director of Equality Florida. "That spirit continues to guide us today as we face relentless attacks on our rights and freedoms. Since that tragedy rocked the globe, Florida has been both an epicenter of anti-LGBTQ attacks and the front line of the resistance against them. Time and again, our community has turned pain into purpose, mobilizing thousands to organize, advocate, and defend one another. This moment demands that courage, compassion, and solidarity. Our work is far from finished, and we remain committed to honoring the 49 not only with remembrance, but with action that builds a safer, more just future for every LGBTQ person.”
“It's hard to believe it's been ten years. Ten years of missing faces at birthday parties, empty seats at dinner tables, and voicemails never returned,” said Brandon Wolf, Pulse Nightclub Survivor and Senior Director of Communications Strategy for Equality Florida. “Six days after the shooting, at his funeral, I promised my best friend that I would never stop fighting for a world that he would be proud of. Since then, so much has changed. Our community has been under siege from a right wing hellbent on hoarding freedom for themselves, our rights have been rolled back, and the very spaces we set aside to reflect and remember have been desecrated. But one thing has not changed: the strength of our community to, in the face of hate, shine brighter and bolder than before. May the ten year remembrance be a moment to reflect, grieve, harden our resolve, and recommit to honoring the memories of those stolen from us not with hollow sympathies or empty words, but with action.”
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