Fan artwork showing solidarity with the victims of the mass shooting.
Vigils are being held in Picton and Kingston tonight to honour and show solidarity for those killed and injured at an Orlando gay nightclub in what is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Omar Mateen was shot dead by police after he shot and killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others at the Pulse nightclub early Sunday.
In Picton, a vigil is being held in front of Books and Company on Main Street at 8 p.m. Another is taking place in Kingston at the Springer Market Square at 8 p.m. A private vigil is being held in Belleville at the regular LGBTQ+ youth group meeting on Tuesday.
Gilles Charette, committee chair for the 2016 Belleville Pride says hundreds within the local LGBTQ+ community are reaching out as they feel their safe space has been violated.
Charette says they continue to encourage the community to reach out to their peers, other people within the community, the Pride committee, along with other local resources if they are feeling traumatized by the events in Orlando.
He pointed to the hundreds of people who have showed up at blood banks giving blood saying those are the good news stories that prove there is still good within humanity.
Along with the vigils, Charette invites everyone to attend the Pride in the Park celebration on July 23 at Zwick’s Park in Belleville. There will also be a moment of silence to remember the victims in Orlando.
For anyone needing to reach out, the Pride committee says they are there to help. Open Line Open Mind 310-OPEN (6736) is a free, confidential service to get information, support and referral to all mental health and addictions services in Hastings & Prince Edward Counties in Ontario, Canada.
You can also go to Belleville Pride’s Facebook Page for a list of support services.
Meanwhile, members of Parliament are paying tribute to the victims of the Florida gay nightclub attack.
NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Canada stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ community adding diversity is our great strength.
Prime Minister Trudeau says he was “shocked and saddened” by the tragedy, calling the attack an act of domestic terror.
MPs held a moment a silence for the victims today.
