Vancouver Police Investigating Attack on Man Attending Orlando Vigil
Vancouver police are investigating an attack on a man who was heading to the vigil held at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Dallas Groot told Global News that he was carrying the Pride flag as he was walking to the vigil on June 12 when a man with a black hoodie attacked him from behind with an unknown weapon. The blow knocked him to the ground. He went to the hospital after the attack, which left him with a bruise. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Pride Society will be meeting with Vancouver police about security for the parade, which will be held on July 31. READ MORE
The Corrosive Politics That Threaten L.G.B.T. Americans
It’s hard to say how many politicians take these positions as a matter of principle and how many do so because it has proved to be an effective way in the past to raise money and turn out the vote. As the funerals are held for those who perished on Sunday, lawmakers who have actively championed discriminatory laws and policies, and those who have quietly enabled them with votes, should force themselves to read the obituaries and look at the photos. The 49 people killed in Orlando were victims of a terrorist attack. But they also need to be remembered as casualties of a society where hate has deep roots. READ MORE
Working At The Gay Nightclub Pulse Was Once A Summer Job. This Straight Reporter Shares His Story of Covering The Massacre
Years ago, to help put myself through college, I was a straight man working at a gay dance club. That club was Pulse. As a cash-strapped college student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, I was more than willing to try something outside the box to earn good money. Taking that job selling shots of alcohol was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The gay community virtually adopted me and eased my college expenses with its generosity. It feels surreal to now be a member of the news media covering the massacre at Pulse. I've focused my camera on countless murder scenes and tragic stories, and I rarely get emotional. I use my lens to distance me and keep work separate from real life. But Pulse was a big part of my personal life, and it remains a big part of me eight years later. It shaped me. It made me a better person because it dissolved my ignorance of a community fighting for its rights. It showed me that community was full of people with big hearts who took care of each other and protected each other, too often when their own families had rejected them. I remember walking down the cobblestone street at 10 p.m. my first night, approaching the big double doors not knowing what to expect. It was like the first day of school. I was gripped with excitement and nerves. The minute I entered the club, I was greeted with smiles and hugs from people who didn't even know me. "You must be the new guy!" they said. That was the spirit of Pulse and of the gay community in Orlando — welcoming to everyone, even a straight man, a "breeder" like me. I was given a tray of alcohol and told to sell it. I'll admit that it was a little awkward at first, getting eyeballed by men. But the job paid well and it allowed me to continue a news internship that paid me nothing. Slowly, the job became less awkward. Soon, I loved it. I had become a member of the Pulse community. Over time, night after night, I started to make friends with some of the regulars. True friends. Lifelong friends. Among them were people in the TV industry who eventually helped jump-start my career. READ MORE
Celebrities React to Orlando Shooting
Celebrities expressed their sorrow and condolences over the Orlando shooting this week. Lady Gaga gave an emotional tribute at a vigil for the victims outside Los Angeles’ City Hall on Monday.
“As we have now witnessed the largest mass shooting in American history, I can’t help but feel that this level of hatred, like all prejudicial crimes, this is an attack on humanity itself. This is an attack on everyone. Tonight, I gather humbly with you as a human being in peace, in sincerity, in commitment, in solidarity, to take a real moment and mourn the tragic loss of these innocent, beautiful people,” Lady Gaga said at the vigil before reading the list of names of the lives lost.
Actor Tituss Burgess performed at the Stonewall Inn rally and vigil for Orlando, singing “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” Nick Jonas also spoke at the vigil.
Lady Gaga video Via Youtube Channel: Jose Medrano Tituss Burgess video Via Youtube Channel:Sandi Bachom
