Yes, it is 2016 and yes, we’ve have come a long way since the Stonewall riots but Orlando proves that hatred exists. With the recent horrific hate crimes and ongoing discrimination against queer individuals, it is now time to stand in solidarity. There is so much fear and hate in the world, it’s our responsibility to give love and light.” I think it’s important we all come together to do things like this.
It spread all the good energy in the room out into the universe,” Koh revealed to Huffington Post, “I’m walking in the bee chapel right now and there are mementos of flowers and pictures that people left behind.
So I tried to almost sing the names, instead of just saying them, to celebrate them in a loving and beautiful way. “By chanting the names, they became living presences again. The chapel (above) is a part of his ongoing exhibition at the Edlin Gallery and was equipped with said microphone to spread a message to the universe. He broadcasted their names into outer space via a microphone interconnected with an antenna: inspired by a ritual he witnessed at a Buddhist monastery, Koh chanted the victims’ names inside a bee chapel. Countless individuals have payed tribute to Orlando in solidarity including Lady Gaga, who called it “an attack on humanity itself.”Īrtist Terence Koh was among the mourners - on June 27, the ex-art world “bad boy” honored the victims with a “chanting ceremony” at the Andrew Edlin Gallery in New York. It was an attack on a minority group, to harm with intention and pick on those for nothing more than their sexuality. It’s the largest mass shooting in United States history and the most devastating act of terror since 9/11. On June 12, Omar Mateen entered Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on a mission to murder queer individuals - he left behind 50 killed and 53 more wounded. We are allowed to have multiple feelings simultaneously as we celebrate our wins and mourn our losses as a community.” On June 26, 2015, history was made when President Barack Obama legalized gay marriage in the United States.Įven so - despite all the progress that’s been achieved on the Gay Liberation Front, a horrific hate crime was perpetrated against a gay club. An article on the Matador Network said about annual Pride celebrations, “Because our bodies and our identities are still policed by the government, religious groups, and even the people we love, we reserve Pride as the opportunity to express ourselves in the way that is most authentic to our community. Today, annual Pride celebrations cast a rainbow salute to those individuals in Greenwich Village who paved the way for a generation of acceptance. To pay homage to the Stonewall riots, the premier Gay Pride march descended upon New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Jsimilar parades popped up around the world. The riots not only gave power back to queer individuals but abolished a culture that spelled shame and anonymity. Within weeks, the Gay Liberation Front was established among numerous gay activist organizations that demanded equal rights. The crowd at the Inn was incited to riot when tensions between the police and gay residents escalated. Because of its reputation, police raids were frequent during the 1960’s. The riots were named after the Stonewall Inn located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, an establishment that welcomed an array of marginalized groups: drag queens, transgenders, male prostitutes, effeminate men and lesbians. It catapulted the gay liberation movement into a global revolution, and the demonstrations represent the foundation upon which the battle for LGBTQ rights in the United States were cemented. Burgeoning LGBTQ social movements have persisted since the 1870’s, but the single most pivotal moment is recognized to be the Stonewall riots. Largely considered a deviant lifestyle choice throughout history, those who have identified gay, lesbian, transgender or otherwise have been ostracized, rejected and scorned.