June 11, 2018 – New York, NY – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today remembers the taken and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016. The shooting, which took place on “Latin Night” at the Orlando LGBTQ nightclub, claimed the lives of 49 people and left 53 injured, most of whom were LGBTQ Latinx people and people of color. Not only was this one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history, it was also the deadliest single incidence of violence against LGBTQ people in the U.S.
“Although two years have passed, those who were killed at Pulse, the survivors, and their families are still in our hearts today and every day,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “In the wake of the Pulse tragedy, it is inspiring to see that LGBTQ young people are now leading the nation in our response to the epidemic of gun violence in this country, which so often affects LGBTQ people and their loved ones.”
Last year, through collaboration with local activist groups in Florida, GLAAD released its media guide on how to talk about Pulse. The guide, available in English and Spanish, urges the importance of remembering the victims with acts of love and kindness, and outlines pitfalls to avoid and best practices to use when writing about the two-year mark of the shooting. GLAAD is available to help journalists and media professionals cover this important topic and connect them with people who are willing to speak about their stories and experiences.
The media guide includes significant contributions from Equality Florida, which developed best practices for reporting on Pulse during their #HonorThemWithAction campaign in 2017. Through this national campaign, Equality Florida is once again calling on individuals and organizations to share on social media stories of how they have actively challenged LGBTQ harassment, discrimination, and violence.
For more information about reporting on LGBTQ issues in the south, please refer to Southern Stories: A Guide for Reporting on LGBTQ People in Florida. This guide is part of GLAAD’s Southern Stories initiative, which aims to positively showcase the lives of, and build acceptance for, the LGBTQ community in southern states.
