A decade after the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at the time, the San Diego LGBT Community Center held a solemn service on Friday to honor the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida.
The event took place in the center's auditorium, where chairs were arranged with photos, names, a single white flower, and a candle for each victim, facing a Latinx ofrenda—an altar celebrating the dead.
Cesar Arevaldo, chair of the San Diego LGBTQ+ Latine Coalition, reflected on the tragedy: “I find it haunting how a night of fun turned around so quickly.” The service included a bilingual blessing by Baltazar Hernandez, who wore a feathered headdress and wooden beads reminiscent of traditional Aztec attire, and carried a wooden staff as he prayed for the departed.
Esme Quintero-Cubillan, a 28-year-old LGBTQ+ community organizer who attended, noted an often-overlooked fact: the shooting was the largest mass killing of Puerto Ricans in recent history, with 20 of the victims being Puerto Rican. At the center of the ofrenda lay the original Puerto Rican flag, known as the "Grito de Lares" flag, symbolizing the island's struggle for freedom from Spanish colonial rule.
Calderon Vargas and Arevaldo recited the names of all 49 victims, prompting the audience to respond “present” or “presénte” after each name. Arevaldo emphasized that ten years have been stolen from those killed, and “it’s our job to never forget what happened.” A moment of silence was observed before a performance by Tijuana Queer Coralle, a choral group led by vocal coach Israel Rodriguez.
The songs began solemnly, reflecting on youth, then shifted to upbeat Spanish renditions of pop hits like “Dancing Queen,” inspiring the audience to clap along.
Calderon Vargas said it is the duty of the living to remember the Pulse victims as they began their nights a decade ago. “I think that when people come together from so many backgrounds,” Calderon Vargas stated, “this is actually the way we build community.” The walls of the auditorium, lined with photos of LGBTQ+ community leaders, and the 49 portraits arrayed throughout the hall, underscored the lasting impact of the tragedy on the community.