{"id":308145,"date":"2026-06-15T17:54:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/308145\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:54:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:54:26","slug":"photos-lgbtq-advocates-mark-10-years-since-pulse-in-st-petersburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/308145\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS: LGBTQ+ advocates mark 10 years since Pulse in St. Petersburg"},"content":{"rendered":"

A message written in chalk June 12 at St. Petersburg\u2019s former Progressive Pride street mural. (Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent)<\/p>\n

ST. PETERSBURG | LGBTQ+ advocates gathered at\u00a0St. Petersburg\u2019s former Progressive Pride street mural<\/a> June 12 to mark 10 years since\u00a0Pulse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The ceremony was organized by St Pete Pride<\/a>,\u00a0Justice Over Everything<\/a>, the\u00a0Contigo Fund\u00a0<\/a>and the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida in Pinellas County. The Tampa Bay region was invited to \u201cgather in reflection, remembrance and solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

St Pete Pride President and Justice Over Everything Co-Founder Byron Green-Calisch<\/a> welcomed attendees before introducing St. Petersburg LGBTQ+ Liaison Nathan Bruemmer<\/a>. He began by noting St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch<\/a> formally recognized the tragedy\u2019s 10-year mark with a proclamation, which was accepted by City of Orlando Community Engagement Manager Luis Martinez June 11 on behalf of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemembering the lives lost at Pulse provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of community, public safety, and standing against violence and hatred in all forms,\u201d the proclamation reads. June 12 was officially declared Pulse Remembrance Day in the city, where Welch encouraged \u201cresidents to remember the victims, honor survivors and first
responders, and reflect upon the values of compassion, unity and community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Pinellas County Vice President Silvio Delgado spoke next. <\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that I have been holding on to leading up to today, and thinking about this year \u2014 this pivotal moment that we are in, as a city, as a state, as a country \u2014 is the idea of intersectionality, and how important it is in moments like this to walk in lockstep, arm in arm,\u201d he said. Both \u201cthrough times of struggle and times of joy, because joy can also be an act of resistance, which is so hard to remember in moments like these, where grief fills our hearts, and we remind ourselves how important it is to make space for that grief.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan Martinez, who initially contacted Green-Calisch about holding a ceremony, also addressed the crowd. He noted he lost friends at Pulse and called it \u201cpoetic\u201d that the ceremony was held at the former LGBTQ+ street mural. While FDOT painted it black earlier this year, portions of the rainbow have begun to reemerge.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we are in some very dark times \u2026 we can look and see how there\u2019s been attempts to try and erase who we are as people, trying to erase our community, I think if you look at this intersection, you can see \u2014 despite some people\u2019s attempts to force us in the shadows \u2014 we still find ways to come through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danny Glennon, who lived in Orlando for two decades, called on the community to remember the lives lost. He also reflected on Florida\u2019s anti-LGBTQ+ political attacks, noting \u201cI always tell people that good bosses come and go; bad bosses always go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryan Casa\u00f1as Scarsella, legislative aide to St. Petersburg City Councilmember Gina Driscoll<\/a>, attended on her behalf. He reflected on inclusive actions from the city, including the mayor\u2019s Pride Month and Pulse proclamations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf at anytime you feel darkness overcome you,\u201d he noted, \u201chopefully the city is bringing some light to your life and we can share that light with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional speakers included J.R. St. Jean, another former Orlando resident who sang with the Orlando Gay Chorus<\/a> in the aftermath of the tragedy, and Lou Powell. They also lived in Orlando and worked for Equality Florida<\/a> at the time of the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember after it happened talking to a friend [who] noticed how on the Latin channels they wouldn\u2019t mention it was an LGBT club, and in the LGBT coverage, a lot of times they neglected to share that the majority of the victims were from the Latin community,\u201d Powell reflected. \u201cTen years later I find myself thinking often about what we owe the 49 people who lost their lives and the world that we owe them, and the world that we hoped that we would be in 10 years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t the world that they deserve and this isn\u2019t the world that we were trying to build for them,\u201d they continued. \u201c\u2026 I hope that we can all continue to fight like hell to build the future that those 49 deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nela Lamb echoed this. They shared that \u201cit\u2019s terrifying to think that it was only 10 years ago \u2026 but that\u2019s why it\u2019s important that we keep talking, because the more that we talk, the more that people understand that we\u2019re all human.\u201d <\/p>\n

Green-Calisch closed the ceremony by reflecting on grief, which \u201cdoesn\u2019t go away, it marinates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows up in different times at different places,\u201d he advised. \u201cWhen you\u2019re checking to see how close you are to the exits, when you\u2019re drunk off your mind and want to just forget the moment \u2026 but I want to invite you all to hold that grief, to let it drive you, let it inspire you.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here, we get the chance to use our voice, we get the chance to celebrate, to lift their names up and continue to fight for their world that they should live in,\u201d Green-Calisch concluded. \u201cWe are going nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees wrote messages of remembrance and more in chalk after that. They included \u201cLove will always win\u201d and \u201cSomos Orlando,\u201d translated to \u201cWe are Orlando\u201d in English.<\/p>\n

Watermark Out News attended the ceremony. View our photos below.<\/p>\n

Photos by Ryan Williams-Jent.<\/p>\n

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