Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Coalition and The Order are proud to be holding one of two events in Waterloo Region being hosted to provide a space for the community to come together and pay respect to the lives lost in this terrible tragedy. We stand in solidarity with the Orlando LGBTQ community and share our support and condolences.
Our thanks go out to everyone who has been in touch about the upcoming vigil. The outpouring of support is so encouraging – and we have also very much appreciated people feeling comfortable to approach us with valid concerns about the event and how we can work to make the event more inclusive and safe for our community. We have made some adjustments to increase the amount of time we are spending at the square and diversifying the options for people to gather afterwards. The Waterloo Region Rainbow Coalition remains grateful to the Order for approaching us to both offer their space and co-host this event, and for working with us to host an event that welcomes as many members of our community to participate as possible.
For this Waterloo event, we will be gathering outside Waterloo Town Square at 9 PM for a candle light vigil. Community members are welcome to speak at this time. An updated list of speakers will be maintained on our Facebook event listing.
At 10:30 PM, we will walk to Princess Street, home to the Order and other businesses and organizations that have a history of supporting the local Rainbow Community. As Waterloo Region’s only nightclub marketed to the local Rainbow Community, the walk to the Order is intended to be a symbol of solidarity with the victims of the nightclub shootings. Should the shootings have occurred in our Region, those attending the Order would have, most likely, been the targets.
After the walk is complete, individuals will be invited to meet at a number of locales that have agreed to support our efforts. We hope that individuals will join with others to meet, discuss, debrief and most importantly – continue to heal. We will add participating locales as we connect with them or they connect with us. Check out our Facebook Event listing for updates.
Individuals or groups who wish to make statements at the vigil at Waterloo Town Square are invited to connect by sending a message to the Waterloo Region Rainbow Coalition via Facebook or this website.