Just got back from a Hope Not Fear vigil for the Orlando victims.
It was organized by our local lgbtq group, our local clergy association and the Connecticut branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The speakers were wonderful: a pastor at a predominantly black church quoting Martin Luther King Jr., drawing parallels in the common struggle for civil rights; a member of OutCT talking about knowing what it feels like to hear that a loved one has been murdered, a young Muslim woman talking about Muslims and the lgbtq community both being groups who are targeted, and that they must stand with each other against hatred, bigotry and violence, members of the Latino community talking about the impact on their community. We listened to the names of each victim and their ages. We wrote on a small card what our own response to Orlando would be, and dropped our cards in a basket. Our statements will become part of a larger event later this month.
I am very proud of my community. I hope that people are coming together like this all over our country.