Preach Love Not Hate
From drag queens to bears, we know what to expect at a Pride event. Some of those expectations are the religious fanatics usually protesting in their designated sections.
Unfortunately, on Monday, June 12, a day of remembrance for the 49 victims of the Pulse shooting, approximately three “Christians” showed up with hateful signs and words.
To assist in controlling the situation, the Orlando Police Department were seen asking the protesters to move away from Pulse. During the incident, several cell phone videos posted to social media recorded the interaction. As one of the protesters decided to move forward toward the club, the officers stood their ground, and as he pushed forward, this resulted in the officers taking charge and detaining the man. All the while, the crowds were overheard shouting “Love not Hate.” In the video, you can also see a gentleman completely trolling the protester by placing “pro-LGBTQ” stickers on the distracted protesters signs. No word if the detained protester was arrested or charged with anything, but kudos to the Orlando Police Department and kudos to the sticker guy!
Digital Pulse
The Orange County Regional History Center has opened a temporary exhibit for one week only. The exhibit showcases items recovered from the various memorial sites set up in Central Florida soon after the Pulse nightclub attack.
Although, this is only a temporary engagement, a digital catalogue of the items has been made available to the public to view as the One Orlando Collection.
In digitally preserving 5,000 artifacts, anyone can view these by visiting www.OneOrlandoCollection.com
The Center Expands
The GLBT Community Center of Central Florida finally opened its new doors after a nearly two-year remodel. To commemorate the opening on the one year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shootings, the Center hosted a breakfast at the newly renovated space alongside with the Orlando Police Department.
Staff and volunteers, we were told, worked diligently through the weekend in preparation for Monday’s events. Art was moved and dust was cleared and a new art presentation was installed in the main room dedicated to the 49 victims.
