Pulse Remembrance Day
[Content warning: Anti-queer violence]
On June 12, 2016, a violent attack was carried out on the popular LGBTTIAQ+ bar Pulse in Orlando; 49 people were killed and 53 others were injured. On the day of the attack, Pulse was hosting an evening for queer latinx people. At that time it was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the US.
Pulse was a queer bar in Florida with a varied program. There were regular drag shows, but also educational programs for the LGBTTIAQ+ community. Owners Barbara Poma and Ron Legler opened the bar in 2004. The name was inspired by the memory of Poma's gay brother, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1991 (Mettler 2016; Wyatt 2016).
“When Barbara had the opportunity to open Pulse, which was named for John's pulse to live on, she dedicated it to be a safe place to enjoy each other's company”, Pulse Bar Marketing Assistant Josh Garcia told Next magazine after the attack (Wyatt, 2016).
In response to the attack, a memorial was set up at the bar, where family members and other people laid flowers in memory of the victims. In Florida, 12 June was declared Pulse Remembrance Day. Since then, a minute's silence has been held annually in the US state for the victims of the attack and memorial events have been organised. The victims are also remembered online and attention is drawn to ongoing anti queer violence. The OnePULSE Foundation has created the hashtag #WeWillNotLetHateWin, which is used by thousands of tweets on Pulse Remembrance Day every year.
The attack on Pulse is proof of the anti queer violence that still prevails in society. In the US, Black trans* women are victims of fatal violence with striking frequency. Also in Germany queer people are still exposed to everyday discrimination (Andrew 2020; Human Rights Campaign 2021).
In memory of the victims:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Amanda Alvear, 25
Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Antonio D. Brown, 30
Darryl R. Burt II, 29
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Luis D. Conde, 39
Cory J. Connell, 21
Tevin E. Crosby, 25
Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Deonka D. Drayton, 32
Mercedez M. Flores, 26
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Juan R. Guerrero, 22
Paul T. Henry, 41
Frank Hernandez, 27
Miguel A. Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jason B. Josaphat, 19
Eddie J. Justice, 30
Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25
Christopher A. Leinonen, 32
Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49
Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Kimberly Morris, 37
Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27
Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Enrique L. Rios Jr, 25
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
Edward Sotomayor Jr, 34
Shane E. Tomlinson, 33
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Jerald A. Wright, 31
Last updated: May 2025
Sources (in German)
Andrew, Scottie: Florida observes Pulse Remembrance Day on the fourth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting. CNN. Last accessed 10.06.2021.
Human Rights Campaign (2021): Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2021. Hrc.com. Last accessed 10.06.2021.
Mettler, Katie (2016): Orlando's club Pulse owes its name and spirit to 'loving brother' who died from AIDS. Washington Post. Last accessed 10.06.2021.
Wyatt, Diego (2016): The Pulse Of Orlando. Next. Last accessed 10.06.2021.