Thousands gathered in front of Belfast City Hall for Orlando vigil

On Sunday morning, 49 people were killed and 53 were injured by gunman Omar Mateen at gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, and so a huge crowd of both LGBT members and supporters gathered in front of Belfast city hall as it was lit up by rainbow colours, followed by the American flag pattern on June 15th.

Not only was the vigil a way of showing solidarity and strength among the LGBT community against the actual shooting, but also against the media, as many media outlets failed to immediately recognise the attack as a blatant onslaught on the LGBT community.

UUB Art graduate Jamie Baird said: “No amount of hatred, inhumanity, violence or erasure by the media can EVER destroy the strength, defiance and love ingrained in the LGBT community.

“Nothing can ever bring these people back, but what those of us who can need to do is turn the music up louder than ever, dance harder than ever, fight more fiercely than ever and be who we are more proudly than ever.”

Huge crowds – both members and supporters of the LGBT community – gathered at Belfast city hall

He added: “This world is so full is adversity and hate, but like fuck is anyone going to silence us.”

Famous resident drag queen in Boombox nightclub, Roxy Tumbledryer, also took to Facebook during the vigil, writing: “Fantastic turn out @ Belfast City hall! If you haven’t turned up and are part of our community and were able to attend – shame on you! #orlando”

At 2:45 a.m.the night of the attack, Mateen called News 13 of Orlando and said, “I am the shooter” before claiming it was in the name of ISIS. He himself was shot dead, but it has come to light that friends of his have claimed he was a closet homosexual himself, frequenting Pulse dozens of times before his attack, and using gay dating apps.

Director of the Rainbow Project, John O’Doherty said: “So many people turned out in memory of those who lost their lives in Orlando. Rightfully so our community is angry, we are sad and we are grieving.”