Most of the dead at Pulse were gay Latinos, and the attack on June 12, 2016, highlighted the gulf between gay people of color and other gays. “There’s no question that the tragedy at Pulse has created an entire new generation of grassroots leaders who are young, who are queer, people of color, who want to make a difference and affect change,” said Smith, who was elected to Florida’s Legislature last fall. But in the year since a gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub, these men and others have sought to strengthen their wounded community, forming support groups and community organizations, seeking seats at the tables of power, and creating a foundation to champion gays and Latinos. Many gay Latinos in Orlando have endured indignities, rejection or violence because of their sexual orientation. After coming out in high school, Marco Quiroga left his mother’s home and became temporarily homeless. Carlos Guillermo Smith was once attacked by anti-gay students at a college party. (AP) - Ricardo Negron never kissed his boyfriend in front of conservative relatives.
A year after the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the city's gay Latinos are trying to build up their community by forming support groups, seeking seats at the tables of power and creating a foundation to champion gays and Latinos. In this Tuesday, photo, Ricardo Negron, a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting reflects at his office in Orlando, Fla.
