NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — June 12, 2024 marks eight years since the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub left 49 members of the Orlando LGBTQ+ community dead, and the organization Gays Against Guns held a vigil and silent procession at Hudson River Park on Wednesday evening to commemorate those lives lost while advocating for change.
“Today, our memorial is for the 49 victims of Pulse, but by the end of today, at least 120 people will have died by a gun being shot in this country,” Michael Shannon, one of GAG’s 49 “Human Beings” in the procession, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.
The “Human Beings” were GAG volunteers “veiled and clad in all white attire who hold space in silence to honor the lives stolen by gun violence,” the organization said. These volunteers also held photos of those who lost their lives in the attack.
GAG is an inclusive, nonviolent gun violence prevention organization that was founded as a result of 2016’s Pulse nightclub massacre. The shooting was the deadliest incident of violence against LGBTQ+ people in U.S. history, and when it occurred, had the largest number of mass shooting causalities in national history.
“I just substitute that place for Pulse, and it’s like, that could’ve been me, that could’ve been any one of my friends,” Benjamin Mead said about his favorite gay bar in the city.
In addition to the 49 people who died, 50 more members of Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community attending the Latin Night celebration were wounded by the assault rifle.
“I think people are starting to forget unfortunately,” Antonius Wiriadjaja, who has been shot himself at a club in Brooklyn, said.
“We’re seeing all these bills that are being passed, actually passed, that are specifically targeting trans kids, which are the ones who are most affected by gun violence,” he continued.
Wednesday’s vigil began on the Christopher Street Pier (Pier 45) before the silent procession moved up Hudson River Park, through the AIDS Memorial at Jane Street and ended at the LGBTQ+ Memorial at West 12th Street.
GAG said that its intention for Wednesday’s demonstration was to provide space for New York City’s LGBTQ+ and gun violence prevention communities to “come together with love, strength and determination to battle the twin scourges of bigotry and gun violence.”
“The queer community experiences exponentially more violence,” said Virginia Vitzthum, who thinks that the LGBTQ+ community should have more say in the gun debate.
In addition to the group’s “Human Beings,” other attendees held a massive rainbow banner as the sun set that read “Gays Against Guns.”