A heavy silence fell over the group gathered at a southeast Calgary church Wednesday night as they stared at a list of 49 names, victims of the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando, Fla.
Quiet sobs were audible, with some heads bowed and others raised skyward.
About 50 Calgarians came to the Deer Park United Church to grieve for those victims, gunned down during a Latin night at the popular gay club, and show solidarity with the LGBTQ community.
“Pride is resistance,” said Pam Rocker from the Hillhurst United Church, who spoke at the vigil.
“We are not going away, and the closet is not an option.”
Deer Park United Church accepts and welcomes people of all sexual orientations, genders, ages, races, religions, occupations or socio-economic statuses, according to its Rev. Tom Melvin.
Rev. Tom Melvin speaks at Deer Park United Church on Wednesday during a memorial vigil for the victims of the Orlando mass shooting.
And on Wednesday night, one by one, mourners took a turn at the pulpit, sharing their reasons for coming. The killings, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, affected them even though it happened so far away, they said.
Churchgoer Bob Wilson said the tragedy affected him on a personal note. His son, who lives in Houston, Texas, and his son’s partner frequently go dancing at similar clubs, he said.
“They know the people there will support them and encourage them, and they have nothing to fear,” Wilson said. “It could have been Houston.”
Wilson broke down into tears as he spoke, hugging Melvin as he returned to the pews.
There was no applause after each speaker, only quiet nodding and warm smiles for those willing to share.
Sabrina Islam, of the Calgary Alberta Unity Mosque, said she came to the vigil to remind Calgarians that there are people of faith here who are trying to do something about anti-LGBTQ violence.
“There’s been a lot happening in the past few months with bombings and shootings, and Islam tied into all of this and Islamophobia coming out of it,” she said.
“We come together, but then we often leave after something like this happens and then it just kind of goes away. I don’t want it to go away. I want people to commit to something and continue building those bridges and building safer spaces.”
On Friday, three of the city’s gay bars will host a “Take Back Your Gay Bar” event. On June 22, the Hillhurst United Church will host a memorial for the Pulse shooting victims.
