Public funding grows for memorial to Pulse shooting victims
The Orange County Commission voted unanimously to contribute $5 million to an effort by the City of Orlando to honor those killed in the 2016 massacre.
June 4, 2025
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The Orange County Commission voted unanimously to contribute $5 million to an effort by the City of Orlando to honor those killed in the 2016 massacre.
The memorial will be dedicated to the 49 people killed in the massacre at Pulse nightclub. The shift marks less a torch passing and more a takeover following a year of controversy over the management of the planning.
The onePulse Foundation formed shortly after the shooting at the Orlando gay club, the deadliest attack on LGBTQ+ people in U.S. history. Now, the foundation's financials are being questioned by local authorities.
Orlando's mayor made the announcement Wednesday.
The onePULSE Foundation released the video in hopes of helping police identify the suspect.
Christine Leinonen, a party to a lawsuit against Pulse owners, called for an audit of the onePULSE Foundation.
David Cooley, CEO of the Abbey in West Hollywood, invites patrons to help raise funds for the OnePulse Foundation.
At L.A. fundraisers for GLSEN and the OnePulse Foundation, queer celebrities and survivors of the tragedy discuss why this year's Pride celebration is different.
Barbara Poma told reporters that the onePULSE Foundation will oversee the effort, which includes a museum and scholarships honoring the victims who died in the mass shooting.
The news comes only days after the city of Orlando announced it would try to buy the location of the nightclub site.
The service commemorating victims of the mass shooting will go virtual this year.
This week the first in a series of town hall meetings and an online survey will gather input on creating a memorial at the site of the tragedy.
Survivors and victims' family members contend the club had insufficient security.
“Anything we would ever do would include a memorial,” the bar's owner has said. “We are still working through our grief.”
The decision by the organizers of L.A. Pride to sponsor a resistance march instead of a parade is a divisive and partisan move, say Matthew Craffey and Charles T. Moran of the Log Cabin Republicans.
Numerous events have been scheduled for Monday in Orlando to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.
Florida budgeted for a Parkland memorial the year the shooting happened, but Pulse survivors are still fighting for the money three years later.
The president heralded the legislation but also noted that commemorations of tragedies bring back horrifying memories for survivors.
"I'm ecstatic, and yes I had a drag queen at my victory party,” Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said.
Making the designation, through a bill passed by Congress and expected to be signed by President Biden, is "absolutely the right thing to do," says U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla.
Some are calling for the nightclub -- site of one of our community's worst tragedies -- to be torn down. Sara Grossman, who lost her best friend there, says that's not the answer.