Hundreds at Center on Halsted vigil for Orlando
by Matt Simonette 2016-06-13
This article shared 6784 times since Mon Jun 13, 2016
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, along with Chicago politicians, clergy, activists and artists, were among those who, on June 13, spoke at a vigil at Center on Halsted in remembrance of those killed and wounded in the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in the early morning of June 12.
The event was one of several that evening in the Chicago area; other vigils took place in Logan Square and Beverly.
More than 500 attended the Lakeview gathering, which filled the Center's lobby and spilled out onto Halsted Street and Waveland; the block was closed for the occasion and the overflow crowd listened to the vigil through giant speakers. Some protesters against Emanuel and his police department also were in attendance outside.
The Center's CEO, Modesto Tico Valle, introduced the vigil and explained that the purple ribbons that many wore were symbols of anti-violence, and invited guests to sign a large banner. Commissioner Mona Noriega of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations introduced the speakers.
Former state Sen. Carol Ronen read a statement from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The letter said, "While I regret that I could not be with you tonight, please know that I am with you in spirit as you gather at the Center on Halsted to honor the victims of the attack in Orlando, their families and first responders who did everything they could to save lives. … To all of you in the LGBT community, please know that you have millions of allies across the country. I am one of them. We will keep fighting for your rights in the future, freely, openly and without fear. Hate has absolutely no place in America."
Rev. Joy Douglas Strome of Lakeview Presbyterian Church led a prayer for peace, while 103 candles were lit throughout the Center's lobby, representing 50 dead and 53 injured.
Alds. Tom Tunney and Raymond Lopez spoke as well. Lopez reminded the audience that the Orlando shootings were a "double hate-crime," since so many of the victims were Latino LGBTs.
"To my Latino brothers and sisters, not only in Orlando, but in Chicago and throughout the entire country, let me remind you not to let our culture fall prey to this hatred," Lopez said. "Our culture is built on faith and family, compassion and caring, and no amount of bullets, no amount of hateful words, and no amount of bigotry will ever set our communityour heritagebackwards."
Emanuel added, "Let the entire city in this month of gay pride come together as one city around a shared common sense of tolerance and inclusion. Where everybody is comfortable. Everybody has something to contribute. … Our power is to respond to what happened with hope, by showing the entire country a sense of what a community that comes together shares, a common set of values and a common sense of who we are. Do not leave room for hate. Open our hearts for love."
Poet Staceyann Chin, in town from New York to perform her one-woman show MotherStruck, invigorated the crowd with a piece that touched on intersectional identities and violence, among numerous issues, and called on the audience to maintain their resolve and fortitude during the upcoming Pride celebration. She said, "If there ever was a year to raise that rainbow flag high, this is it. … This is a good year to celebrate pride, even if you are 'so over it.' Even if you haven't done it in ages."
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle reflected, "Sadly, this will not be the last attack on our fellow Americans here at home, but those who contemplate future attacks should know that the violence that they perpetrate only deepens our resolve to fight the hatred and intolerance that terrorism represents."
Sol Flores, executive director of La Casa Norte, which provides services for youth experiencing homelessness, and Terry, who takes part in the Center's Youth Program (and whose last name was not given), reminded the audience that most of the victims in Orlando were young people in their 20s and 30s.
"When I started this work, I vowed to make sure that every corner of this city was safe for young people to be their best and true selves, from Humboldt Park to Lake View, from Back of the Yards to Roger Park," said Flores.
Terry vowed that, though the incident taught that anti-gay hate is real and palpable, the Orlando shootings would not take away what "so many have fought for before. … We must not let this be our downfall. We are here. We stand with you. We will not be divided."
Actor Fawzia Mirza said that she was coming out to the audience as a Muslim "so you know that Muslims are also family, and that the person who committed this act of hate in Orlando was not one of us. He was an extremist and was not family. … Let us transcend the noise. Let us transcend the other groupsthe other voices, the politicians, the hate speechwho want to use this tragedy for their own agendas."
Abdul-Malik Ryan, assistant director, religious diversity and loop ministry at DePaul University, added, "We can never forget about the LGBT community among Muslims, which is often invisible." He said that many in the public become numb to endless death or crime statistics, and asked, "What changed to bring out this sorrow and compassion? It's the love, the love that people have talked about. When you love someone, that's when you realize that that person is a whole world in themselves."
James Bennett, midwest regional manager of Lambda Legal, warned that callous political leaders who legislate against the LGBT community create a space in which violence becomes acceptable for unstable people.
"The tragedy at Pulse was a graphic reminder what homophobia and transphobia does when it is out there on this horrific scale," Bennett said. "I do not believe there is a place for hate, but I do believe there is a place for righteous anger."
Myles Brady of Howard Brown Health said, "It should not take a massacre to call for attention and take some action. In our community, homeless youth, trans women, people of color, people with HIV and undocumented folks are literally being killed every day. Let this tragedy be your wakeup call. What are you going to do? I hope it's not just changing your Facebook profile to say, 'I stand with Orlando.'"
Rabbi Shoshanah Conover of Temple Sholom concluded the vigil. "We must commit to building this world on love," Conover said, calling on all the other speakersand the audienceto join in. "Help us to build this world on love." She then had Temple Sholom's cantorial soloist, Laurie Akers, lead the audience in song.
The vigil also featured Korey White of Windy City Performing Arts, who sang "Amazing Grace," and violist Davis Butner of Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles. Windy City Performing Arts members led the crowd in "We Shall Overcome" at the end of the evening.
The video playlist below contains multiple videos. Choose Playlist in the top left hand corner to watch videos out of order, if preferred.
This article shared 6784 times since Mon Jun 13, 2016
Out and Aging
Presented By
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Nex Benedict's autopsy report released 2024-03-27 - The full autopsy report for Nex Benedict (he/they)a 16-year-old transgender and Indigenous student from Oklahoma's Owasso High School who died in February a day after a school fighthas been released. The Oklahoma Office of the Chie ...
LGBTQ+ people attacked by mobs in Greece 2024-03-14 - Just weeks after a landmark law granted same-sex couples in Greece the right to marry, nearly 200 people dressed in black chased a transgender couple through the town square in Thessaloniki, the country's "second city" and ...
Yemeni court sentences 13 men to death for being LGBTQ+ 2024-02-09 - In the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen, a court has reportedly sentenced 13 people to death who had been charged with homosexuality, The Washington Blade noted. Agence France-Presse reported that the court in Ibb Governorate, which ...
Smollett asks state supreme court to overturn conviction 2024-02-07 - Embattled actor Jussie Smollett has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to review and overturn an appellate ruling upholding his conviction for a hate-crime hoax that took place more than five years ago, The Chicago Sun-Times noted. ...
NATIONAL Marriage news, fighting fentanyl, anti-LGBTQ+ crimes, Grindr 2024-02-02 - The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state, The Washington Blade noted. House Bill 174, introduced by state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County), passed in the Democratic-controlled ...
Seattle LGBTQ+ bars push back against raids 2024-01-30 - In Seattle, a group of Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs are teaming with neighborhood queer community leaders Dan Savage and Terry Miller in calling for the state's liquor control board and Seattle police officials to ...
Ohio man sentenced for firebombing pro-LGBTQ+ church 2024-01-30 - On Jan. 29, 2024, Ohio resident Aimenn D. Penny was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison followed by three years of supervised release for attempting to burn down a pro-LGBTQ+ church, according to a ...
Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.
All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).
The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.