Many people have drawn attention to the name of the LGBT club where the Orlando massacre unfolded on the morning of June 12th: Pulse.

Pulse is a place of a togetherness and hope that became ruptured by violence.

Pulse is also the rhythmic beating of the heart. It's the current that keeps the body alive, the radiant source of life. 

After the rampage that left 50 dead and dozens more wounded, the pulse of the world seemed to still: it was sickening, unbelievable to read the news. How could this have happened? Why was a military-grade weapon in the hands of a deranged civilian? How is such evil possible?

And then our collective pulse returned. Throughout the hazy morning, when details started gathering, and then into a blazing afternoon of grief, calls for love and unity poured forth. 

We've learned the names of some of the victims and the people who loved them, who are staggered by pain.  

“I’m so sad and my heart is broken,” Christian Wilson Cservak wrote of his friend Edward Sotomayer Jr. “The [world] lost an amazing guy. So full of life and love. [May] he rest in peace always.”

It's a testament to the profound love within the LGBT community that love for the victims and the world and a deep desire for unity has dominated the global reaction.  

There is plenty of reason to be bitter, totally dazed with anger. And there is time for the necessary discussion on gun control. But it's also possible to begin the work of healing. 

As playwright/actor/director Lin-Manuel Miranda said at the Tony Awards last night, "Love is love is love is love is love, and love cannot be killed or swept aside. Fill the world with music, love and pride."

In the wake of the horrific massacre, calls for unity have resounded across the world. 

TopicsCurrent eventsLGBTQGlobalGun ViolenceGun ControlLovePulseOrlando massacreOrlandoMass violence

News

Demand Equity

The world calls for unity and love after Orlando massacre

By Joe McCarthy