On Friday, November 11, 2016, hundreds of protestors gathered at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando at 6:00pm. These people were not charged with hatred or anger, but with love and hope; they knew that many people were against them and their marching, but they felt like it was their duty to stand for what they believed in. People of all ages, genders, religions, sexual orientations and races gathered in hope that people would be willing to feel their energy and need to be understood.
"It's just such a nice thing to be able to get a group of people together who understand each other and believe in each other," Kathy Fields, a protestor stated at the beginning of the rally. "I don't want people to think I hate them if they voted for Trump and I don't necessarily hate Trump either. What I am doing here is I'm trying to use my voice to make people understand how much we do not want inequality to become a bigger issue. I love everyone here because they know the importance of coming together for the common good and standing for what they believe in when the odds are against them. That's why I supported Hillary so strongly. Her campaign was about being 'Stronger Together' and I feel like Trump doesn't care if we fall apart."
Hundreds of signs filled the streets expressing the major stresses of these people: "Love Trumps Hate," "Keep Your Laws Off My Body," "Women's Rights Are Human Rights," "We Will Not Tolerate Hate," and "Make America Love Again" were just a few examples of these banners. Activists wrapped themselves in American and Gay Pride flags as they walked through the streets with purpose and ambition.
"Get to know your neighbor, get to know the person you're marching with tonight, and understand that we are all together" the leader of the march proclaimed after the group congregated and were preparing to march. As the crowd began to parade, they began chanting "Orlando United," "Not My President," "Her Body, Her Choice," and "We're Gonna Be Alright." Even with the people screaming obscenities at the protestors from the side, the group marched forward, ignoring what was being said to them.
"I came all the way from St. Petersburg to be here tonight. My sister thinks I'm crazy because I'm 54 and I'm out here protesting but do you know what? I feel like I should be here because I want to be heard. I've yet to meet a mean protestor tonight and I feel so proud to be a part of it all. I love seeing people my age here but I love even more seeing younger people because they should learn what it feels like to be part of something bigger than them. I hope y'all feel the power in the air that I do because it feels special," a woman declared just before the marching began.
After the protest, people rushed the Facebook page with love and pride for one another. One user, Serena Skye, posted "It was so wonderful to share the night with so many inspirational people fighting for positive change! Love & unity to all of you, hope to see you all at future events!" Another, Sam Kennedy, shared "Thank you so much for organizing this event! It was amazing to be around so many wonderful people, and to peacefully spread love and acceptance while making our voices heard." Aancehl Shah said "It was such an amazing experience!! I was so happy to be a part of it. Thank you for putting on such an amazing and peaceful protest where we could all come together to show solidarity. much love to you all!"
Overall, the experience was something to be proud of because even if you don't believe in protests, people came together in a non-violent way. Not every rally has to end in death or bad experiences; people are allowed to exercise their rights by means of using their voices and uniting as a team. If you are against the movement, at least feel some solace that it wasn't necessarily an Anti-Trump march, it was aimed to bring awareness to uniting people of all varieties and proving that no one is a lesser individual because of skin, fundamentals or gender.
