Early on Sunday morning, news broke that a gunman killed 49 people in an Orlando gay club and injured more than 50 others, in what became the worst mass shooting in American history. In the wake of the tragic event, New Yorkers found ways to show their support for the LGBT victims of the attack.
Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered that all flags be flown at half-mast, and New York City Hall not only flew rainbow flags (which last appeared when the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage), but was also lit in the colors of the rainbow to show solidarity with the LGBT community:
Iconic landmarks like One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building also showed their support for the victims of the tragedy; WTC lit its spire in the colors of the rainbow flag, while the ESB went dark:
And a huge crowd gathered outside of the Stonewall Inn, the site of an historic and crucial 1969 uprising that helped spark the modern LGBT rights movement. The bar, currently on its way to becoming a national monument, is typically one of the epicenters of NYC’s Pride Month (which kicked off at the beginning of June); yesterday, it became the epicenter of an impromptu vigil, where mourners placed flowers and gathered together in solidarity.
Another vigil is scheduled for tonight in front of the Stonewall Inn, and will be attended by Mayor de Blasio, Governor Cuomo, and leaders from New York’s LGBT community.
The city’s Pride March, meanwhile, is scheduled to take place as normal on June 26, though Mayor de Blasio has promised additional security for the event, along with increased police presence in front of "key LGBT institutions," according to the Wall Street Journal.