Reader Report: CdM’s Trident staff organizes Orlando memorial, pride day
The recent murder of 49 people at Pulse, a gay bar in Orlando, Fla., left the entire country in shock.
This act of hatred toward the LGBTQ community has made homosexual Americans and many others fear for their lives and for the fate of this country.
America has many homophobic people who refuse to accept that love is love, regardless of gender. However, in these times of tragedy, people of all sexualities have come together in solidarity with the victims.
The student staff of Corona del Mar High School’s Trident magazine chose to voice their support for the LGBTQ community on and off campus and pay tribute to the victims of the attack.
“Regardless of our political views, I think it’s essential that students of all sexualities on our campus are provided with a loving environment in which they feel safe, accepted and worthy,” sophomore Delaney Ivey said. “Observing a tragedy in the middle of Pride Month prompted us to raise awareness to the fact that LGBTQ community members are always fighting an uphill battle, even as our society progresses.”
On June 13, the Trident launched the Pray For Orlando photo and quote series on social media, sharing heartfelt student responses to the Orlando shooting.
“Providing CdM students a platform to express their voice, as Trident did with the Pray For Orlando series, is important because ‘hearing’ the feelings expressed in the quotes redirects us to focus on love and acceptance, rather than hate and ostracization,” English teacher and Trident advisor Laura Holk said. “It may prompt people to reevaluate their prejudiced views and realize violence against people in the LGBTQ community could tragically affect one of their friends.”
The series received such a positive reaction that Trident staff decided to take its support of CdM’s LGBTQ community to the next level.
In just 24 hours, the Trident editors planned a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Orlando shooting. They advertised June 16 as a school-wide Pride Day, encouraging staff and students to attend the memorial wearing rainbow colors to match the gay pride flag.
“I was beyond excited when I found out our school was going to have Pride Day,” junior Sara Marshall said. “Being in the closet at our school is a scary thing, but events like this help those who are afraid realize that there are others out there just like them. They’re all over our school and even those who aren’t LGBTQ are still likely to be there for you. Just as the name entails, Pride Day inspires us in the queer community to be proud of who we are.”
The morning of the memorial ceremony, Trident staff members decked out the quad with freshly painted posters and rainbow streamers, even wrapping the Seaking, CdM’s mascot statue, in a blanket of color. The names of the 49 victims from the Orlando shooting were written on tags and tied to flowers. A banner was laid out for students to sign and pledge their support for the LGBTQ community.
When the 10 a.m. bell rang for break, students wearing rainbow and tie-dye shirts with pride flooded the quad.
Members of all five choirs from CdM’s Vocal Music Department took the stage to perform a tribute to those who had their lives ended in the Orlando shooting. They sang “Seasons of Love,” the title song for their spring concert. Junior Tyler Mardis and senior Ethan Lindt sang lead vocals in a touching performance that left many students teary eyed.
“The memorial created such a warm and loving atmosphere on campus,” Spanish teacher Elisa Ramirez said. “It felt like we were all united and left the labels at the door to accept each other as humans first. I loved that all the students got involved and showed so much respect and support.”
The banner, reading “I Stand With The LGBTQ Community,” was covered in signatures within minutes.
“Seeing students, teachers and staff unite on one front and stand in solidarity against hate was an emotional, overwhelming experience,” Delaney said. “I’m endlessly thankful for each individual who demonstrated their love for our school, our nation, and our world.”
Sara added, “I feel that a lot of the time people only talk very surface level about tragedies, even the ones that take place here in the U.S. It’s hard for people to connect what they’re hearing to the actual reality of what has happened. This memorial brought the issue straight to our school, and has already started an important conversation.”
Trident editors plan to mail the signed banner, along with a book of student quotes from the Pray For Orlando series and photos from the memorial ceremony, to the mayor’s office in Orlando. They hope to spread the love and acceptance expressed on campus to other places.
“I’m so proud of my Trident students for their ability to recognize that something can be done to bring light to the epidemic of mass shootings in our country,” Holk said. “If the younger generation can foster love for one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender, then maybe events like the Orlando tragedy will diminish. I’m proud of my Trident students for showing so much compassion, which teaches others compassion too.”
The entire CdM student body shared their compassion and grief over this senseless tragedy, fostering a growing culture of acceptance in their community and beyond.
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HANNAH SCHOENBAUM is editor of the Trident magazine at Corona del Mar High School.