On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, resulting in the deaths of 49 people and wounding 53 others. Omar Mateen, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, engaged in a three-hour standoff before being killed by police. Yesterday, the city of Orlando invited the community to honor the 49 lives lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting. The annual remembrance ceremony took place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and included the ringing of 49 bells at First United Methodist Church Orlando, part of the “Acts of Love and Kindness” movement by One Orlando Alliance. In addition to the ceremony, a remembrance day blood drive was held outside Orlando City Hall and the Dr. Phillips Center. The victims were also honored with an exhibition of prayer ribbons at Harry P. Leu Gardens and Orlando City Hall Plaza, featuring names and messages of hope. On a personal note, Hotspots Happening Out executive producer Al Ferguson was at ORMC crisis center in Orlando on the day of the Pulse shooting. His friend and employee, and the first named announced who died at the scene was Eddie Sotomayor. Eddie was internationally known for his coordination of the RuPaul Drag Race cruises across the world. Queer News Tonight remembers the 49… and especially Eddie Sotomayor.
