Plum by Todd Lac*
Hundreds gathered at Corpening Plata on Thursday, June 16 to remember the
victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florids.
Local LGBT community and |
allies mourn Orlando victims
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Hundreds filled
Corpening Plaza Thursday
eveningJune 16, evening
during a vigil held by Pride
Winston-Salem for die vic
tims of the Orlando shoot
ing.
On June 12, the worst
mass shooting in the coun
try's recent history took
place at Pulse, a gay night
club in Orlando, Florida. A
gunman armed with an
assault rifle and pistol
opened fire on a crowd of
300 during the club's Latin
night, killing 49 and
wounding more than 50.
The shooter, who was
killed by police, claimed
allegiance to the Islamic
State fn 911 calls during a
standoff with authorities,
though investigators have
found no links between
him and ISIS.
The media has been
referring to Pulse and other
gay nightclubs as a sanctu
ary for those in the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgen
der (LGBT) community.
During the vigil. Pride
Winston-Salem President
Jerry Morin said he agreed
with that description.
"It's a sanctuary for us
to go, have fun, dance, be
with our friends without
judgment or fear of vio
lence," he said. "For a lot
of people, that's been vio
lated. It will take some time
to get that back, but we
can't let that deter us."
Speakers at the vigil
also called for action.
Corey Hodges, a former
Pride board member,
applauded senators who
walked out during the
moment of silence in
Congress for the Orlando
shooting. The Democratic
senators were protesting
lack of legislative action on
guns after numerous mass
shootings. After a nearly 15
hour filibuster. Republican
Senate leadership agreed to
hold votes on universal
background checks and
banning those on the terror
ist watch list from buying
guns. These measures did
not pass Monday.
Hodges also talked
about the outpouring of
online support, with hash
tags like #keepkissing,
which refers to the shoot
er's father saying that his
son was upset when he saw
two men kissing. Hodge
told those in the LGBT
community to not hide who
they are and continue to
"queer the space," referring
to a sermon by Rev. Roger
Hayes, the openly gay pas
tor of Church of the Holy
Spirit Fellowship.
"I implore you to keep
kissing, queer this space
and never be silent," said
Hodges.
Hodges said while
there's currently no gay bar
or club in Winston-Salem,
after Club Snap recently
closed, the local LGBT
community finds sanctuary
in groups like Pride, which
holds a festival and parade
in October, faith groups
and other organizations.
One of those organiza
r
tions is Northstar LGBT
Community Center, located
on Burke Street. Teresa
Carter, who founded it in
2013, said the center is
using grief counselors to
help people deal with the
tragedy. She said the center
has had calls from people
who were so shaken by the
shooting they were think
ing of suicide. It's also had
people who've called want
ing to volunteer and help
however they can.
"We've fought many
things in the last 20 years,
and this is just another
thing we're going to fight
together," she said. .
Also among the speak
ers was Interfaith Winston
Salem Chair Drea Parker
and Devonte Jackson, a
transgender man. Rev.
Maria Teresa, an associate
pastor at Wentz Memorial
United Church of Christ,
read a message in both
English and Spanish at the
end. She then read the
names of all 49 victims
killed in the Pulse shooting
as Hodges rang a bell for
each one. The crowd of
about 500 stood silently
and held candles as each
name was read, some cry
ing and embracing each
other as they tried to deal
with the tragedy.
Another vigil was held
Sunday at Merschel Plaza,
along Fourth Street in
downtown Winston-Salem.
That vigil was hosted by
the North Star LGBT
Community Center.
Photo by Todd Lock
A few of the guns col
lected at the Firearms
Safe Surrender are
shown.
Police gather unwanted
guns from the public
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Amidst a spike in homi
cides, the Winston-Salem
Police Department
(WSPD) collected unwant
ed guns and ammo on
Saturday, June 18, in the
parking lot of Waughtown
Baptist Church.
The Firearms Safe
Surrender let gun owners
turn in firearms and ammo
to the police with no ques
tions asked. The guns and
ammo will be destroyed,
though some ammo may be
used for testing by the
department. Firearms are
checked before they're dis
posed of to make sure they
aren't stolen and. haven't
been used in a crime.
Those wanting to dis
pose of their guns pulled up
in their vehicles and let
officers remove the
weapons. Lt. ' Katie
Paterson said they had
three people waiting for
them right when the event
started at 9 a.m.
"The point is to offer an
opportunity to folks who
may have guns or ammuni
tion ill their home, maybe
they have small children
andykm't want the guns
present anymore, or maybe
they've had them and just
haven't known how to get
rid of them," said Paterson,
"It gives them a chance to .
safely get rid of them."
By the time it ended at
1 p jn., officers had collect
ed three handguns, three
shotguns, two BB guns, a
black powder pistol and
hundreds of rounds of
ammo. This is far less than
what police collected in the
two city-funded gun buy
backs held in 2014. The
buybacks offered between
$100-$175 per weapon.
Cpl. Brian Ashley, who
is with the firearms training
unit, said they were able to
fill the back of a van with
collected weapons during
the buybacks.
"It was a very big
turnout," he said.
Paterson said that the
WSPD opted for a safe sur
render event this time
because it could be organ
ized quicker as a response
to the higher than usual
homicides the city is hav
ing this year. In the month
it took to plan the event,
that number has climbed
higher. As of Friday, there
have been 14 homicides, as
opposed to six at this time
last year. The eventtUIso
comes a week after the
worst mass shooting in
recent United States history
at a gay nightclub iji
Orlando, Florida.
Paterson said the
WSPD regularly gets calls
to dispose of firearms. She
said the best way to dispose
of guns and ammo is to call
the WSPD so a patrol offi
cer can pick them up, or
bring them by police head
quarters at 725 N. Cherry
St.
Assistant, Polico Chief
Wilson Weaver said that
any weapon the police can
get off the street is a good
thing.
"Any weapons that
we're able to get off the
street and safely dispose of
are weapons we don't have
to be concerned about
being utilized in a crime or
a child getting a hold of,"
said Weaver.
Weaver said that the
safe surrender event is just .
one part of WSPD's
response to the spike in
violence. He said officers
are making appeals to the
community for information
on violent criiries. He said
officers also try to be out
and visible in the coqimu
nity as much as possible.
Have an Opinion?
Let us Know letters? wschronicleM
I Make sure your information is SAFE
by using these 10 mobile tips:
- Lex* yov *????* AmoV Main Nun*? (Ptfl or PwwwP ?
(Vy?wWVM*?*w?dwnow- . I
? - BKtuppMW*
- Km? ya* ?|rMra ucdMd -
? tail Mb* yau omi d*?B* ?
- Mwy< lag out <0 Mq ?d *wpn| Mm ?
TitnntWTi torWmwnww ?? ?twi Wy m rrtn iw I
? Don I ehcfcon into ? MM r tiwotawd mmk or M mwapM ?
fix -MMUaaMi wanly VP'
I
Fo kere ?noro our Mrvices * miw iorsytk
CHILDCARE FROM INFANT TO 5 YEARS
NEW 2016 - SUMMER DAY CAMP + 2ND SHIFT
MudP es
NORTHWEST CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
NOW EMOtllNG!
www.MudPiesNC.org ;
336.721.1215 i
? ' ?; . ?' ?
'3. H V' ' ' *' -- ? ? T, %'A
?11
? auto financing
RATES N EV& FLEXIBLE
AS LOW AS USED TERM
1.69& RE Ft OPTIONS'
Find the loan that fits you best.
Visit us online at Allegaqr.org to get started.
'^legacy
be your best you.
'All loan, arc subject to credit approval 1.69% APR la effective aa of 06/16/2016. Rates and terms art bated
on four credit history and profile. All rates, terms, products and services are subject to change without notice.
?>2016 Allegtcy Federal Credit Union
?d a 1