BREMERTON — At 8 p.m. Monday, June 13, local members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies gathered at Evergreen Park in Bremerton for a candlelight vigil in honor of the people who lost their lives or loved ones during the attack at gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, resulting in 49 deaths.

About 2 a.m. Sunday, June 12, 29-year-old Omar Mateen executed the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

American-born Mateen, of Fort Pierce, Florida, entered an LGBTQ+ nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando with a legally purchased assault rifle and pistol, killed 49 people and wounded at least 53. During the attack, Mateen called 911 to pledge his allegiance to the terrorist organization ISIS.

Mateen died in a shootout with Orlando police after the attack.

President Barack Obama said in an address to the nation from the White House, “We know enough to say this was an act of terror and act of hate. This is an especially heartbreaking day for our friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.”

Katrina Lund, Olympic College’s Student Government Vice President for Diversity and Equity, helped organize the candlelight vigil in response to the terrorist attack, in conjunction with Kitsap Pride and the Q Center.

Katrina Lund organized the Bremerton vigil. Photo by Richard Huddy

“After a senseless tragedy such as this, hate can surface,” Lund said. “As a representative of Olympic College’s Student Government, as a community member and as a queer Latina woman, I wanted to do what I could to prevent that. I wanted to bring the community together to express love and support of the victims and each other.”

The vigil was sponsored by the Olympic College Student Government, the Kitsap Pride Network and the Q Center, Lund said. Hundreds of people, including Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent, attended to show their support at the “emotional, but wholly loving” event, said Lund.

“The community seemed truly grateful to have a forum to express grief and solidarity,” Lund added. “It was cathartic for me to be able to express my grief, and incredibly moving to see our community come together in such a big way on such short notice.”

Lund said that Americans “need to make a statement after such a tragedy that hate will only beget more hate and about how harmful prejudice and bigotry can be.” She added that Kitsap and Mason counties have a very diverse population, and she doesn’t want anyone to turn hate or fear on community members from the Islamic communities.

“I hope that no one takes the act of one misguided and potentially ill or unbalanced individual as a representation of an entire population and their views,” Lund said. “I do not wish for people of Muslim or Islamic culture to be blamed or discriminated against for this crime of hate.

“As a country, we mourn yet another act of violence against innocent people. I hope that we as Americans do not let these acts in Orlando divide us any further, but rather help bring us closer together as we embrace our LGBTQ+ community, both nationally and locally.”

Lund went on to say, “Any act of violence is horrific, but a killing motivated by discrimination against an individual’s race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation is even more abhorrent.”

Lund said she’s personally seen, studied and experienced harm that stems from discrimination. She said the attack in Orlando “has cemented my resolve to fight against it until it is a thing of the past.”

Lund works at Olympic College and with the surrounding counties toward making the communities more inclusive and supportive for people with marginalized identities, and heads up the MOGAI and Allies (Marginalized Orientations, Gender and Intersex and Allies) club on campus, which includes events such as the upcoming fundraising drag show on June 25 to raise money for a scholarship for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“It is my ultimate goal to create more resources for sexual and gender minorities in this area at large and specifically at Olympic College,” Lund said. “I am available for help and support to any students of Olympic College who experience grief, harassment, bullying or discrimination. I have resources to help minority students overcome their personal obstacles to success, as well.”