As we approach the 8th Anniversary of the Pulse tragedy, Orlando remember the 49 beautiful angels that were sadly taken from our community.
Pride Month in Orlando features a multitude of events and celebrations, but June has a poignant significance to the local community here in Orlando, as thoughts turn to the anniversary of the tragic events that unfolded on June 12, 2016, a night that evil visited Orlando in the form of a gunman who entered Pulse Nightclub and killed 49 innocent angels and wounded 53 more in what was at the time, the countries worst ever mass shooting.
The Pulse Nightclub shooting is a horrific event that Orlando will never forget, an event that both devastated and brought our community together
This year is the eighth anniversary of the Pulse tragedy, and there is several community-wide remembrance events to remember the 49 angels and uplift survivors, victims’ families and our entire community.
Pulse Remembrance Events 2024
Annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run 2024
June 8 at 7 am
The annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run, now in its 8th year, is a celebration of how following the Pulse tragedy, our community came together in love and how we continue to be Orlando United.
At the CommUNITY Rainbow Run, which this year is Saturday, June 8, 2024, we unite to honor the 49 angels, their families, the survivors, first responders and all those impacted.
The CommUNITY Rainbow Run is moving from Wadeview Park to Orlando City Hall Plaza, conveniently located at 400 South Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando.
The new location means a larger space for the CommUNITY Festival and offers a unique race day experience for everyone, with the Kids Fun Run taking place on Seneff Arts Plaza in front of the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts. For more information and to register, click here.
The Dru Project's Annual Memorial & Fundraiser
June 8 at 12 pm
Jack & Honey's, 808 E Washington St, Orlando
This year should have been Drew's 40th birthday. Help us celebrate his legacy and this year's scholar class.
To date, The Dru Project will have given out over $250,000 to LGBTQ+ youth leaders since the Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
Join us for The Dru Project's Annual Memorial & Fundraiser, a drag show featuring Angelica Sanchez, Cara Cavalli, and Myki Meeks, as well as a raffle to support our Gay-Straight Alliance grant fund, plus drink and food specials from the incredible menu at Jack & Honey's.
There will be photo ops, as well, so dress your birthday party best!
The Pendulum of Pride: A History of LGBTQ Resilience in Central Florida
June 8 at 12 pm
Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando
In this program, David Matteson, a past Board president of the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, will survey the history of the LGBTQ community in the region by focusing on moments of progress, resistance, and resilience.
In the wake of the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in 2016, demonstrations of love and support centralized around the LGBTQ community. Yet no matter how many rainbow flags fly in The City Beautiful, queer individuals have not always been welcomed. Our history includes moments when showing one’s pride sparked protest and times when political progress prompted regressive discrimination. By turning to the past, we may better understand the LGBTQ community’s resilience – a quality for which we should all be proud.
The lecture draws on the collection of the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. Learn more about this organization at floridalgbtqmuseum.org. This program is free with registration.
Pulse Prayer Ribbons Display at City Hall
June 10 - 16
City Hall Plaza, 400 South Orange Avenue, Orlando
The City of Orlando will again display prayer ribbons from Massachusetts-based artist Jay Critchley that honor the 49 victims of the Pulse tragedy. The ribbons will be on display in front of City Hall starting Monday, June 10 until Sunday, June 16.
49 Bells Ceremony
June 12 at 4 pm
First United Methodist Church of Orlando, 142 East Jackson Street
Taking place at First United Methodist Church of Orlando, the tolling of the bells is part of “Acts of Love and Kindness,” a One Orlando Alliance movement grown out of the spirit of giving and good deeds witnessed in the aftermath of the Pulse tragedy.
The movement inspires the Orlando community and beyond to engage in volunteerism, share stories and show support through acts of love and kindness. For more information on this day of remembrance events, click here.
Pulse Remembrance Ceremony
June 12 at 7 pm
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Steinmetz Hall, 445 South Magnolia Avenue
Community leaders, first responders and the families of the victims and survivors of the Pulse tragedy will come together at Dr. Phillips Center for an annual remembrance ceremony hosted by the City of Orlando.
The Remembrance Ceremony allows our community to come together every year on the evening of June 12 to honor and remember the 49 angels taken, their families, the survivors, first responders, trauma teams and all those impacted by the tragedy.
The 2024 family and survivor-focused ceremony will be held at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the program beginning at 7 p.m.
Admission is free but a ticket is required to attend the event. More information about the event and how to obtain a ticket can be found here.
If you are unable to attend in person, you can also livestream the ceremony via the Pulse Orlando website.
Remembrance Day Blood Drive
June 12
8 a.m. – 1 pm, outside Orlando City Hall
3 – 8 pm, outside the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
OneBlood will accept blood donations in downtown Orlando on June 12, 2024. Participants can reserve donation times via OneBlood’s website at oneblood.org.
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