Equality Florida launches #HonorThemWithAction for Pulse 10-year remembrance
THIS FRIDAY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY IN OUR COMMUNITY. FRIDAY, JUNE 12TH MARKS TEN YEARS SINCE THE MASS SHOOTING AT THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB IN ORLANDO. HARD TO BELIEVE IT’S BEEN A DECADE. 49 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, 58 OTHERS WERE HURT, AND COUNTLESS LIVES WERE FOREVER CHANGED. HERE WE ARE THAT TEN YEARS LATER AND OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO HONOR THE VICTIMS AND SHOW AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT AND REMEMBRANCE. THERE ARE SO MANY EVENTS AND INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT WE CAN ALL TAKE PART IN TO HONOR THE VICTIMS, SURVIVORS, AND THEIR LOVED ONES. AND JOINING ME THIS MORNING, WE HAVE JENNIFER MARCIAL OCASIO WITH EQUALITY FLORIDA. GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE. YEAH, LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT JUNE 12TH, 2016. YOU TOOK A DEEP BREATH THERE. WHAT DO YOU FEEL HERE AT THE ALMOST TEN YEAR MARK TO REMEMBER THIS DEVASTATING TRAGEDY FOR ORLANDO? IT’S CRAZY, RIGHT, TO THINK THAT I WAS A REPORTER BACK THEN WORKING IN PUERTO RICO. SO MY EXPERIENCE WITH PULSE WAS VERY DIFFERENT. IT WAS LIKE CONNECTING WITH THE PUERTO RICAN FAMILIES THAT WERE GETTING TO THE AIRPORT, THAT WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LIST OF NAMES MEANT. LIKE, I LITERALLY JUST GOT CHILLS, LIKE JUST REMEMBERING THAT DAY TO SOME OF THESE MOMS WHO WERE FINDING OUT THEY LOST THEIR CHILDREN AT PULSE NIGHTCLUB. THE ISSUE WAS ALSO LIKE THE LACK OF SPANISH AT THE TIME. SO THERE WERE A LOT OF MOMS THAT WERE HEARING NAMES, AND THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHETHER THAT MEANT IF MY LOVED ONE WAS ALIVE OR NOT. SO IT WAS A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED MOMENT. YOU WERE HERE. SO YOU KNOW HOW THAT EXPERIENCE WAS OVER HERE. I MOVED TO ORLANDO 2017. SO EVER SINCE, LIKE MY CONNECTION WITH THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, WITH EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH PAUL’S HAS BEEN LIKE LIFE CHANGING AND NOW BEING ABLE TO BE AT EQUALITY FLORIDA, BEING ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. IT’S LITERALLY LIKE TIME HAS BEEN AT A STOP. WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THESE FAMILIES. FOR THEM, IT HASN’T BEEN TEN YEARS. FOR THEM, IT HASN’T BEEN A YEAR, HASN’T BEEN A MONTH. IT’S LIKE THEY RELIVE THAT MOMENT DAY IN AND DAY OUT. YEAH. AND, AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO COME TOGETHER HERE BECAUSE OF THIS EQUALITY FLORIDA CAMPAIGN. YOU’RE HELPING LEAD THIS. JENNIFER, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON THIS WEEK. YEAH, PRECISELY. SPEAKING ABOUT HOW IT’S BEEN TEN YEARS. RIGHT. AND PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH ALL THE EMOTIONS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WHAT CAN I DO TO HONOR THE VICTIMS, TO HONOR THE SURVIVORS, TO HONOR OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT IN THE MOMENT THAT PAUL’S HAPPENED, SOMETHING MAGICAL HAPPENED IN ORLANDO TOO, RIGHT? THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER LIKE IT DIDN’T MATTER. YOUR POLITICAL PARTY DIDN’T MATTER YOUR NATIONALITY. EVERYBODY WAS TOGETHER. SO FOR THIS TEN YEARS, WE WERE LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO? AND HOW CAN WE HELP OUR COMMUNITY FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT? RIGHT? SO WE CAME UP WITH TEN ACTIONS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE TEN YEAR REMEMBRANCE OF PAUL’S. SO YOU CAN COME UP WITH YOUR OWN ACTIONS. BUT AT EQUALITY FLORIDA, YOU CAN FOLLOW ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGHOUT THE TEN YEARS AND TEN THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FROM LIKE DONATING BLOOD, LIKE CALLING OUT THEIR NAMES, LIKE DONATING TO, TO A SCHOOL PROGRAM. LIKE IT’S ALSO VERY EASY TO FORGET ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL CLIMATE, BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING. SO WE JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THIS TEN YEARS AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. AND THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER THINGS GOING ON. YOU’VE GOT ANOTHER NONPROFIT GROUP. THEY’RE LOOKING TO HOST SOMETHING, AND OUR OWN NANCY ALVAREZ IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING, RIGHT? YEAH. AND THEY’LL AMBIENT GROUP, WHICH LITERALLY CAME OUT AFTER THIS SITUATION WITH PAUL’S TO KIND OF LIKE UNITE THE PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY AND THE LATINO COMMUNITY HERE IN OUR REGION. AND AMBIENT IS CELEBRATING WHAT THEY’RE CALLING A BACKING FOR THE 49 ANGELS. AND THAT IS A TRADITION THAT IS CELEBRATED IN PUERTO RICO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AND IN OUR LATINO CULTURES TO CELEBRATE LIFE. IT’S LIKE A DANCE. IT’S LIKE A FESTIVITY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A TRAGIC MOMENT, WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THEIR LIVES, ESPECIALLY HOW THEY WERE, RIGHT? THEY WERE DANCING. THEY WERE FULL OF ENERGY. SO WE’RE CELEBRATING FOR THE ANGELS. ON JUNE 11TH, A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR THE 49. AND WE ALSO KNOW A VERY SPECIAL GUEST IS GOING TO BE THERE. IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN NANCY ALVAREZ, FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN GABBY GIFFORDS, A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ADVOCATE, IS GOING TO BE GIVING SOME REMARKS. WE KNOW SHE WAS SHOT AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT AND FOREVER CHANGED HER LIFE. WE KNOW HER HUSBAND, ASTRONAUT MARK KELLY, ALSO SPEAKS AGAINST GUNS. AND SO WE’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM HER AT THAT. WE’VE GOT A LINK TO ALL THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH THAT WE DIDN’T EVEN BEGIN TO TOUCH THE SURFACE ON. BUT I THINK IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, HOW LITTLE ACTS CAN HONOR THE 49. AND I, I DO THINK IT’S SO POWERFUL TO HEAR HOW THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, WE WERE LIVING IN ORLANDO, BUT THE WORLD WAS CHANGED BY THIS TRAGEDY, OF COURSE. AND LIKE, YOU GET FRUSTRATED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE THINK THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED. OR WE THINK LIKE, I CAN’T DO ANYTHING, BUT THERE’S SO MANY LITTLE ACTIONS THAT WE CAN DO THAT CAN CHANGE. LIKE ONE PERSON’S LIVES. FOR EXAMPLE, I’M WEARING ALL THIS COLORS. I’VE MADE IT A POINT THROUGH LIKE PRIDE MONTH THAT I’M GOING TO BRING OUT ALL THE COLORS, ALL THE RAINBOWS. SO THAT CAN BE AN ACTION. IT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THAT. LETTING AN LGBTQ YOUNG PERSON. YOU’RE NOT ALONE. IT CAN BE ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN DO FOR SOMEONE OR FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE’RE WELCOMING THAT. JENNIFER. THAT’S FANTASTIC. WE’RE GOING TO POST UP ON WESH.COM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WH
Equality Florida launches #HonorThemWithAction for Pulse 10-year remembrance
Updated: 10:10 AM EDT Jun 8, 2026
Equality Florida has launched the #HonorThemWithAction campaign to commemorate the 10-year remembrance of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.As we approach June 12, Equality Florida will share daily actions anyone can take to carry forward the legacy of Pulse.There are a number of events and initiatives throughout Central Florida to honor the victims, survivors and their loved ones. Del Ambiente, a nonprofit organization serving Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ community and their allies, will host PULSE 10: Baquiné for the Angels on Thursday.The event will honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy and provide a space for collective healing.When: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Where: Spirit of Joy Church, 1801 Rouse Rd, Orlando, FL 32817.To register, click here.>> Jennifer Marcial Ocasio with Equality Florida joined the discussion Monday morning. Watch the full interview above to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Equality Florida has launched the #HonorThemWithAction campaign to commemorate the 10-year remembrance of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.
As we approach June 12, Equality Florida will share daily actions anyone can take to carry forward the legacy of Pulse.
There are a number of events and initiatives throughout Central Florida to honor the victims, survivors and their loved ones.
Del Ambiente, a nonprofit organization serving Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ community and their allies, will host PULSE 10: Baquiné for the Angels on Thursday.
The event will honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy and provide a space for collective healing.
When: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Spirit of Joy Church, 1801 Rouse Rd, Orlando, FL 32817.
To register, click here.
>> Jennifer Marcial Ocasio with Equality Florida joined the discussion Monday morning. Watch the full interview above to learn more.