Emotions filled the conference room in the lower level of the PAC building at the University of Illinois Springfield as Kerry Poynter, director of the UIS LGBTQA resource office and his staff read the names of the 49 victims who lost their lives to the actions of a terrorist-affiliated gunman. On June 13, Omar Mateen, a member of the ISIS terrorist network, killed 49 people and injured an additional 53 people at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a large Hispanic population resided. In response to the mass shooting, Poynter and the LGBTQ resource office hosted a candlelight vigil, creating a safe space for people to mourn the victims. As the group shared reflections, there were ongoing themes of acceptance, love and anger concerning minority community members in general. Poynter asked guests to not perpetuate hate against the LGBTQA community as well as the Muslim community. “Tragedies often lead people to seek someone or something to blame,” Poynter said. “Let us instead recommit ourselves to working towards a world without hatred and prejudice.”
This article appears in Jun 16-22, 2016.
