EAST STROUDSBURG -- As powerful words were spoken and candles were lit members of the gay and lesbian community and those who support them, gathered together in a moment of unity in light of the tragedy hitting the LGBT family.
“With all these little flames together we can strive for a better future where everyone is safe and no one else has to die,” said the speaker.
“It is definitely an attack on the LGBT community because people who just don`t know how to coexist with everyone else,” said Kiernan Bauman.
This vigil, held at East Stroudsburg University, was to honor the victims in the mass shooting at gay nightclub in Orlando Sunday morning.
“For my generation we don`t think we`re going to go to a club and get killed, you know, we didn`t fight that fight but now we do,” said Theresa Spell. “Now we have to. When we go to have fun with our friends, we have to worry if we`re going to be the next ones.”
“When stuff happens like this it just kills me inside to hear that people in this world are still this full of hate and rage that they can go out and do something as awful as what happened,” said Bauman.
Anita Lee, the president of the Monroe County Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, known as PFLAG, helped organize this vigil.
“It's just so devastating for the community,” said Lee. “As a mom, I worry about my son and his husband, my friends in the LGBT community, my son's friends in California, it`s just putting us back to a place where we would never thought we would go again.”
And as the names of all 49 victims lost to the gunfire were, tears ran freely.
But while they are heartbroken, the LGBT community says they have not been weakened.
“I hope we raise awareness and we can show people that we`re people too and that we don`t deserve to be killed for who we love,” said Tricia Novack.
