After the horror of the Orlando gay nightclub shooting, which left 49 people dead and 53 wounded, the LGBT community is taking action. First, a series of choice club nights will happen around the city to benefit those affected by the country’s largest mass shooting. Second, a kiss-in will take place tonight in the Castro.
Prompted by San Franciscan Curt Janka, the Facebook invite notes:
Help Spread Love! Come get your picture taken while you kiss a friend. If a same sex kiss prompted the heinous event in Orlando, then let's flood the internet with positive displays of love. Love, in all it's beautiful forms, is not to be feared. I'll take as many photos as I can before it gets too dark. But you can also take kissing selfies or photograph others and post with the hashtag #SpreadLove
The kiss-in goes from 6pm - 8pm this evening at Harvey Milk Plaza.
Another hashtag of note was one that went viral on Saturday morning, shortly after news broke about the shooting, is #TwoMenKissing. The hashtag was sparked by writer Karl Soehnlein, who, after hearing that shooting suspect Omar Mateen was allegedly upset over the sight of two men kissing in public, snapped a pic while kissing his husband Kevin Clarke and pushed it out over Twitter.
Meanwhile, the memorial at 18th and Castro continues to grow.
Down in Los Angeles, thousands of Angelenos gathered at LA City Hall on Monday night to honor the victims of the mass shooting. Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance wherein she broke down while reading the names of the victims aloud.
- Pulse gay nightclub shooting in Orlando: what we know [Vox]
- Spread Love Kiss-in [Facebook invite]
- Local Author Launches #TwoMenKissing Meme, Which Goes Viral In Response To Orlando [SFist]
- Lady Gaga Joins Mourners at LA Vigil for Orlando Shooting [Curbed LA]
- SF nightlife comes together for Orlando [48 Hills]