Candlelight vigil at Taylor Square marks Orlando shooting

By JORDAN FERMANIS
AND CHARLOTTE GRIEVE

Hundreds gathered for a candle light vigil that was held at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst on 13 June.

In a sign of solidarity for victims of the Orlando massacre that killed 49 people and injured 53 on Sunday, Taylor Square was covered in rainbow flags as people came to show support for victims of the most deadly mass shooting in modern American history.

Another vigil was held at The Hub in Newtown and gay flags adourned Sydney Town Hall. Similar public displays were held in Melbourne and Brisbane. Using the #Orlando, thousands of photos and messages of support have been uploaded onto social media as the the shooting receives worldwide condemnation.

The shootings in Orlando were committed by a lone gunman, Omar Seddique Mateen, who was born in the United States to Afghan parents.

The massacre took place at a gay night club, Pulse, and has sparked outrage and sadness from LGBTIQA communities around the world; as ordinary people, out having fun, were targeted due to their sexual orientation.

The attack (that has been labeled a terrorist attack by some) occurred just after Orlando celebrated Gay Pride Week the weekend before. The attack also came two weeks before the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, which are considered to be one of the most important events in the gay rights movement in the U.S. during the 1960s.

Almost immediately, the attacks became the focus of the debate between the presidential nominees from both parties. Donald Trump took to social media to claim these attacks were proof of the need for stricter immigration laws in the US while Hilary Clinton reitterated the need for gun reform to prevent mass shootings.

Whilst the gay community is in mourning after the attack, attention on LGBTIQA issues in Australia have been thrust into the spotlight ahead of the coming election with renewed calls for marriage equality.