Results: One Year Ago, And The Pain Still Is There For Many

One year ago today, Orlando was rocked by a horrific mass shooting -- the worst on American soil -- at the Orlando Pulse Nightclub. It claimed the lives of 49 victims, and 53 were injured. Ceremonies throughout the U.S. and Canada will mark this solemn occasion, but of course, none will be so moving as the ones in Orlando. The mayor of Orlando said "Following the Pulse tragedy, we showed the world that Orlando would not be defined by the act of a hate-filled killer, but instead defined by our response of love, compassion and unity". Hundreds gathered outside the club late Sunday and early Monday, including scores of people dressed in white with angels' wings and carrying lanterns. The "angels" first appeared in the wake of the tragedy to protect and support family and friends of the victims. "We will make sure the world is a better place because of our 49 angels," Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said at the service before a performer sang Over the Rainbow to close the service as many on hand sobbed. Are you going to be remembering this tragedy today either in a ceremony or privately?

Toronto artist, Janet Romero painted a wood-paneled mural to honour the victims, calling it "Still Estamos Aqui" — Spanish for "we are still here" — a nod to the largely Hispanic victims who had filled Orlando's Pulse nightclub during Latin night when the shooting occurred. The piece will be revealed outside The 519 LGBT community center during a candlelight vigil on Monday evening. The challenge of the piece, Romero explained, was to simultaneously honour the Hispanic victims of the Pulse massacre, while recognizing the various other groups within the LGBT community that have been targeted in violent hate crimes. This is just a small part of her mural, which will be unveiled tonight. Do you think this is a fitting tribute?

After the Pulse Nightclub shooting, one victim's father, after finding out his son was gay, refused to claim the body for burial. Eventually the victim's sister claimed the body, but it remains poignant as it points to the stigma against LGBT people in some communities. Openly gay Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan was quoted as saying, "The pain of being Puerto Rican and gay is real. In the island's macho culture (relative to the states), anti-gay bias is not subtle and has reached the highest levels of government." Do you think there is any excuse for NOT claiming your child's body for burial/cremation?