Atlanta Remembers Pulse Nightclub Victims One Year Later
Adhiti Bandlamudi / WABE
Vigils and memorial services were held around Atlanta Monday remembering those who died at the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando a year ago.
Leaders from various religious groups and advocacy groups gathered at St. Marks United Methodist Church in downtown Atlanta for a vigil.
Dave Mardis came from Buford. He said the news about the shooting is still a vivid memory.
“When it happened, I wasn’t around anyone, and I had some time to process it alone. And it was nice to come here today and hear people from different communities talk about their reactions and the support from each other,” he said.
Demarcus Beckham, from Macon, said after the attack, he saw an outpour of support on social media for the LGBTQ community.
“That was the silver lining in all of this. People came across political lines or came out of their religion and said ‘We’re out here and we see your pain,” Beckham said.
Jeff Graham, the Executive Director of Georgia Equality, a LGBTQ advocacy group, said June is a bittersweet month, because it not only marks the Pulse anniversary, but Pride Month as well.
“It’s not just about remembering Pulse, it’s also about honoring the joy,” he said. “Honoring what makes us unique as a community and sharing that spirit of unity across borders.”
Graham hopes the city of Atlanta leads the south by example and continues to respect those of different faiths, nationalities, and sexual orientations.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence reports last year as the deadliest year for the LGBTQ community, with a 17 percent increase in the number of homicides of LGBTQ people. That number doesn’t include the victims of the Pulse shooting.
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