A number of groups have joined forces to host a public memorial for victims of the Orlando shooting.
We Are Orlando — YYC Memorial is a way for people to “grieve collectively for the lives taken in Orlando and the attack on a safe place for LGBTQ+ people,” according to Kelly Ernst, executive director of Calgary Outlink Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. The organization has teamed up with Hillhurst United Church, Calgary Pride, and Trans Equality Society of Alberta to host the June 22 event at Arts Commons.
The memorial in the lobby of the Jack Singer Concert Hall starts at 6 p.m. and is not based on any faith. The memorial is meant for anyone who wishes to join the LGBTQ+ community to mourn the events of June 12 in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were killed and another 53 injured after a man shot up the Pulse gay nightclub with a semi-automatic assault-style rifle and a pistol in what authorities are calling a targeted crime against LBGTQ+ people.
Other partners in the Calgary memorial service include the Calgary Police Service, Diversity Unit, The Coming Out Monologues, One Voice Chorus, Calgary Men’s Chorus, PFLAG Calgary, Calgary Sexual Health Centre, and Knox United Church.
A Facebook site called YYC Memorial has details.
