Alongside sadness and grief, Juneau shows pride

Early Sunday morning, a gunman walked into a gay nightclub in Orlando, killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others. Around the same time that was happening, around 200 people were at the Pride Prom at Rockwell, a Juneau Pride Week event organized by SEAGLA.

“We were celebrating each other and celebrating love and celebrating our community and being together, never imagining that something like this would happen,” said 25-year-old Juneau woman Cate Ross.

Ross spoke in front of a crowd of about 200 Juneau residents gathered at Marine Park Monday for a vigil to show support for those affected by the Orlando shooting. Some, like Ross, were wearing Juneau Pride shirts. Others carried rainbow-colored flags, signs or balloons. The group included people of all ages and members of the Juneau Assembly, Juneau’s legislative delegation, Juneau Police Department and the faith community.

“The only way to move past this is to continue loving and to not let fear and hatred tear us down or tear us apart based on religion, based on gender, sexuality, anything. All we can do is hold each other up as a community and continue to love each other no matter what,” Ross said.

The vigil was organized by SEAGLA, the Southeast Alaska Gay and Lesbian Alliance, which works to provide a supportive social network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

[PHOTOS: SEAGLA’s vigil today in Juneau, for Orlando shooting victims.]

At the beginning of the event, SEAGLA board member James Hoagland read the names and ages that had been released for 36 of the victims. After each name, Aldersgate United Methodist Church pastor Susan Boegli rang a bell in their honor. Most of the people killed were in their 20s and 30s.

“As a young gay man who has worked in the nightclubs all around this country over the past two decades, this hits very close to home for me,” Hoagland said after reading the names.

“These clubs are not just nightclubs, these bars are not just places that people go to have a drink and hang out with friends; these are our sanctuaries and these are very sacred spaces, and so to be attacked in our sacred space is a threat to all of our humanity,” he continued.

Hoagland said for many in the LGBTQ community who aren’t accepted at home, school or work, nightclubs are a place to feel free, be with their partners and dance together.

“I visited Pulse Orlando about three years ago with three other young gay men. We went out, had a great time, and I’m remembering those three friends of mine who could’ve been victims the other night,” Hoagland said.

[Commentary: Juneau in four words: “We are so sorry”.]

SEAGLA board member Jenny Jahn thanked everyone for rallying together and gave a special shout out to the Juneau Police Department “for having our backs.”

“This kind of preventable tragedy whether an act of political terrorism or hate crime is the epitome of bigotry, which must cease,” Jahn said.

“People should not be made to live in fear over celebrating diversity. The motto for Juneau Pride this year is, ‘Come Out. Feel Welcomed,’ and we intend to continue with this. We intend to continue to love one another regardless of a person’s status, political orientation, sex, income or their identity. We intend to continue to be proud alongside our sadness and grief over this violence,” she continued.

[Alaska House has moment of silence for victims.]

Pastor Boegli invited anyone at the vigil to speak. Although the event took place at noon in downtown Juneau amid the din of tour buses, floatplanes and trucks, the collective sounds of hope, encouragement and love were louder.

“I’m really inspired by all the faces here — my friends, neighbors, strangers that I’ve seen in the supermarkets. Yesterday, I received a letter in my mailbox from the court saying that my name change has been approved. My name is Elliott Tibbitts-Travis and I am transgender, I am pan sexual, I am queer, and I am afraid but I’m moving on,” Tibbitts-Travis said to applause and cheers from the crowd.

Wearing a Juneau Pride shirt, Sherri Wes also spoke to the crowd.

“When I went to put this shirt on this morning, I thought, ‘My gosh, I’m putting a target on my body,’ and I actually thought about taking it off. And then I said, ‘No, no, that’s not going to happen,’ because that makes the hate win, and we can’t let the hate win.”

[Letter to the Empire: Two men kissing.]

As the vigil ended and the large crowd started breaking up, instead of rushing back to work, people embraced. They hugged one another and offered support. Some cried.

Hoagland said there are many ways to show support for those affected by the Orlando shooting. One is to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign for victims and their families, which has already raised more than $2.5 million of its $3 million goal.

Another is to attend any of the Juneau Pride events going on this week, like Tuesday’s kickball game, Wednesday’s trivia night, Thursday’s hike or “queer-aoke,” or this weekend’s drag show or day of service.

“Show up, have fun, make friends and build those relationships so we’re really more of one community,” Hoagland said.

Finally, he said, an even simpler thing to do is “hold your loved ones closer, give your friends and families an extra hug and let them know that you love them and care.”

• Contact reporter Lisa Phu at 523-2246 or lisa.phu@juneauempire.com.