Hundreds showed solidarity for the shooting victims in Orlando at a candlelight vigil Monday night in Columbia.
The vigil, held in a packed amphitheater at the Boone County Courthouse, was organized by various community organizations and churches.
Speakers at the vigil read the names of the 49 people who were killed when a gunman opened fire on a gay nightclub early Sunday morning. Some attendees flew rainbow flags and held pro-LGBT signs in the crowd.
Travis Boley was one attendee. He attended the University of Missouri in the late 80s, and said the attendance at the vigil was a sign of progress.
“To see the number of people — of all backgrounds, even straight and homosexual, bisexual, transgender, gay, queer,” Boley said, “to see everyone come out and be supportive, it was very heartwarming.”
The vigil was led by the Center Project and MidMo Pride Fest, alongside two local churches and several organizations at MU. Organizers say the large number of groups at the helm helped bridge the gap between various Columbia communities.
“It’s seeing that there are organizations or groups that you may not normally ever run into or experience – even though Columbia’s not that big a city,” said Sean Olmstead, coordinator at MU’s LGBTQ Resource Center and one of the event’s organizers.
Olmstead added that raising awareness for these organizations is important for Columbia’s newcomers, like MU students. He said those people should know that “if something were to happen, they have your back.”
