Waking up in a foreign country only to find out yet another mass shooting has occurred back home in America made my heartache like no other. Then, to find out moments later it was a terrorist attack, the biggest since 9/11, filled my heart with anger, disgust, and most of all, sadness. My stomach sank to the ground and my eyes began to fill with tears as I read the news. Even though I am not in the United States at the moment, while I am studying abroad in London, I am mourning all the way across the Atlantic Ocean for the victims of that tragedy. However, I am not the only one mourning over here, as the city of London also feels the pain of my country.
Plastered on newsstands throughout the city reads headlines like, "Orlando: An Attack On London Values," or, "We Stand With Orlando." Even the recently elected Islamic mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, released a statement regarding the attack: "This hideous and cowardly attack on LGBT people in Orlando is an attack on our freedoms and values. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Orlando."
The Pride Parade in London is taking place Saturday, June 25, and the organizers of the event are working with the U.S. embassy in planning a tribute to remember the victims whose lives were taken too soon from this act of pure hatred. The U.S. is not alone in this. The world has stood together every time a brutal terrorist attack like this has happened, and that will never change. We continue to stand united around the globe.
A vigil held in London, which I attended, roared with overwhelming support as hundreds of people gathered and stood united. People held signs like the one pictured below and waved LGBT flags while sharing stories, tears, and passion with one and other.
It didn't matter who you were in that crowd of people; everyone was equal and was treated as such. After two minutes of silence to remember those who died, a loud bell rang from outside one of the pubs and 49 colorful balloons took flight, representing the lives that were cut short due to the shooting. There was a somber feeling that overcame me as those two minutes of silence went by, and then a sudden feeling of power and love as the crowd cheered and clapped, wanting to take a stance against inequality and terrorism in this world. Those people weren't American, but they felt the same pain. They also demanded justice, demanded these terrorist attacks to stop, demanded a better and safer world.
After these attacks, the world doesn't just pray for one place. The world prays for humanity. From across the ocean, I can tell you without a doubt, London stands with you, Orlando.
