Pulse foundation forges ahead with memorial project
ebar.comIt was a day that many LGBTQs will never forget.On June 12, 2016, 49 lives — mostly LGBTQ Latinos — were lost and more than 50 were injured during a mass shooting inside Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Coming during Pride Month, the terrible news was a shock for the community. Now, six years later, the owner of Pulse is well into a plan to create what she describes as a fitting memorial at the site as a means to pay tribute to those whose lives were lost and to create a sanctuary of hope for future generations.Barbara Poma, the owner of Pulse, established the nonprofit onePULSE Foundation in 2017 with the goal of establishing the memorial.
Poma, a straight ally, was until recently the president and CEO of the foundation but stepped down in February, shortly after she was in San Francisco as part of a multi-city tour to promote the foundation's work.
She remains the founder of the foundation and the "keeper of the story," according to the organization, which is now searching for an executive director."I'm spreading awareness of the project," Poma told the Bay Area Reporter when she was in town.
