Love is Love || Fort Collins Vigil for the Victims of the Orlando Shooting

In a time of destruction, create something.  - Maxine Hong Kingston

I don't have a lot of words about this tragedy - this horrible thing that has happened in America - the slaying of 50+ humans, and the injuring of millions of others.  We are all wounded by this.  I am so sad, and so heartbroken - so scatterbrained, so lost.  The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and any other name I don't have a word for yet - this community is my community.  This community encompasses so many of my friends and relatives - my loved ones.  After this weekend it is 50+ people short.  It is aching.  It is saddened.  But it is not broken.

The LGBTIQ community is strong.  Stronger than hate.  Love will win, I know this in my heart. Hope is alive, and it is burning inside everyone tonight in our little Colorado city. Fort Collins came out, in the rain, to stand together AGAINST bigotry, hate, violence, ignorance, and apathy. But more importantly, I believe, Fort Collins came out, in the rain, to stand together FOR community.  For tolerance.  For knowledge.  For forgiveness.  

FOR LOVE.  

As we sift through our feelings in the next few days and weeks - months - may we try to keep love in the forefront of our minds.  It's so easy to allow hate to grow - to combat hate with hate.  It feels good to be angry - and we should be angry- I am outraged- I'm horrified.  I'm sad.  I'm shocked.  

But the only way to combat hate is with Love.  Light.  Hope.

Thank you NoCoPride for putting this vigil together- thank you Fort Collins for showing up- thank you to everyone who spoke, to everyone who lifted a candle, or cell phone, or hand, or heart.  Thank you. 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."  -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.