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It may have been the hottest day of the year, but that didn’t stop more than 1,000 people from turning out for Monday’s We Stand With Orlando march on the Strip. The mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub on June 12 left 49 dead and devastated the LGBT community. What started as a modest Facebook event spurred a massive turnout and manifested the need for people from all walks of life to come together and heal.
Among the legion were babies in strollers and senior citizens on Rascals, people wearing badges from the Human Rights Campaign and the Leather Uniform Club, straight couples waving signs and gay couples holding hands. Drag queens rocked stilettos and wigs in 100-plus-degree heat and still looked glam, and men with beards and tattoos lugged coolers of water to share. A Scooby Doo posed with two kids holding a homemade rainbow-letter sign, while a Chewbacca growled appreciatively and gave a double thumbs-up. “The Wookies are with us!” shouted one marcher.
“I’m absolutely thrilled the turnout is so large,” said Rick Taylor, a Las Vegas resident. “When the chips are down, we are a community that rallies.” And it wasn’t only locals who wanted to stand with Orlando.“I saw [the march] on TV, and I thought I would show my support,” said John Meloche, visiting from Canada. “It’s a terrible tragedy, but doing this keeps it in front of people and hopefully makes them think about what needs to happen.”
The reason for the gathering was somber as it gets, but the tone was distinctly not funereal. Old friendships were affirmed, and new ones created. Passengers in cars and buses erupted in cheers and waves that were enthusiastically returned by the marchers; the majority of casinos flashed rainbows and messages of support on their LED screens. One woman carried a sign that read, “We will dance for them. We will not give in to fear.” Indeed: When the Bellagio fountains danced to the tune of “Uptown Funk,” many began waving their signs and stepping in time. The Las Vegas community showed love and generosity in the face of hate and loss. There is no more powerful message.
Photos by Krystal Ramirez
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