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Atlantans gather at the "We are Orlando" vigil on June 14, 2016. Almost twenty years ago, in 1997, Atlanta's own LGBTQ community was targeted in the bombing of the city's Otherside Lounge, a lesbian bar. The estimated 3,000-strong crowd was very diverse. Speakers emphasized the strength to be found in such diversity: "Love your neighbor. Constantly love on the people around you whether you know them or not. Love your Latino/Latina neighbor. Love your gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender neighbor. Love your Muslim neighbor. Love your black and brown neighbors. Show love to all people around you," said Josh Noblitt of Saint Mark United Methodist Church.
"Love courageously" community leaders cried as a call to action for attendees. "And most importantly, love those that are not like you."
Nearly 3,000 people were estimated to be in attendance at Atlanta's "We are Orlando" vigil at the National Civil and Human Rights Museum.
"Y'all, they were babies. Those names that were called–they were babies," the crowd listened to Simone Bell, southern regional director for Lambda Legal, say of the 49 victims.
Dana Turner (left) and Carla Roscoe came to the vigil to pay their respects to the victims and to "show that we're not going to let fear keep us locked away at home", said Turner.
"Tomorrow is not promised and the way that we treat each other on a daily basis matters tremendously," said Josh Noblitt of Saint Mark United Methodist Church.