In the weeks and months after the attack at Pulse, Orlando was recognized for its inclusivity.From Orlando Strong to the designation of safe spaces, the community embraced its reputation for acceptance within the metro.What about beyond city limits? WESH 2's Matt Lupoli traveled from the coast to the countryside to find out Pulse’s impact on Central Florida. No matter how many miles out from Orlando, people all over Central Florida felt the wave of sorrow when the attack happened. "It was very difficult,” Justin Cercone said. "Even just driving by there and thinking about what happened there is a lot to handle."Cercone has also felt a different kind of wave too over the years though, more akin to a shift in tide, slow but steady. "We're in a different time now and grateful for that,” Cercone said.A few years ago, he got involved with the group Space Coast Pride. Now, he's president. "We're moving it to historic downtown Melbourne,” Cercone said.This year's Space Coast Pride festival will be the biggest in its history, a trend it's maintained over the past decade. "It was the living room, is what it was called and it was a small picnic in a park was the first one,” Cercone said. "2019 we had 12,000 people attend. We had it in the Eau Gallie Arts District that year. There's more acceptance."He added:"We definitely are more conservative in Brevard County and we are very grateful and lucky even during our festivals and stuff we've not had a lot of issues there and we hope that continues but it's a discussion we have to have."LGBTQ organizations in the outlying areas of Central Florida are few and far between.Unlike Orlando, where there are three times the number groups found in the rest of the area. Where do they exist, they are strong.One of them is about 60 miles away from Orlando, and in the opposite direction from the coast in The Villages. "We are very, very fortunate to be able to live our life this way,” Wendy O'Donnell said.O'Donnell and Peggy Garvin are married and have lived in The Villages for over 20 years.They helped found the Rainbow Family and Friends in The Villages, welcoming in countless newcomers over the years like Jill Schwartz. "As conservative as this area is, the gay people that I know have never had a problem with their neighbors, they are friends with their neighbors, they go to neighborhood outings and picnics and things. So we've sort of been lucky that way. Now, I don't know how neighbors will feel about the transgender community, because that is different, but when it comes to gays and lesbians they've just been fine,” Jill Schwartz said.Sometimes these friends are here to help neighbors searching for advice and understanding. "We're having grandparents come and say, my grandson is now transgender,” Garvin said. “We tell them just love her the way she is and be open with her."Garvin has also been working to help create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ kids in nearby schools. “I know hard it was for us growing up. We had to be invisible. The kids today are not invisible. They have social media, which we didn't have, so they're out there and they're more vulnerable,” Garvin said.It took some work over the years, getting people in their own generation to feel a sense of freedom. "People had spent their career as teachers or military or government workers that looked over their shoulder their whole life,” O’Donnell said.Kim Fielding and wife Suzi Basting run the produce and plant store Kim's Cabbage Patch along State Road 50. "Twenty years in Clermont, Florida, started out just a little fruit stand and we're blessed to be here now 20 years later," Fielding said."We're like ‘the country’ for Orlando,” Basting said.There, everybody's a friend. "This is a happy place,” Basting said. It's also a place of remembrance now.Five years after Pulse, everybody passing by sees the effect the attack had there. "We organized a lot of things out there. Benefits and fundraising and all of that,” Basting said. "It was devastating for a lot of people, not just us, everybody.”That's why their walls honor the 49. "Those kids, my god, they didn't have a chance,” Basting said."We painted the front window, then we did the heart, and we couldn't stop, so we did the door,” Fielding said.Some people who pass by stop just to see it and some sign it.For Fielding, one survivor's visit is especially memorable. "She'd been shot twelve times,” Fielding said. "She kept driving by going back and forth to the doctors, and she goes, ‘I just want to get well enough to walk in there and sign that wall.’ I hugged that child like there was no tomorrow."As long as they're here, their special piece of Clermont will recognize the place they knew well in Orlando, the people lost and the lives changed."They have the 49 bells they ring every year, across the country, across the world, all these churches and a bunch of different people and we join in. We're a small little place with a little tiny bell and we say all their names and ring our bell.” Basting said. "We can't forget’em -- cannot forget ’em,” Fielding said.
In the weeks and months after the attack at Pulse, Orlando was recognized for its inclusivity.
From Orlando Strong to the designation of safe spaces, the community embraced its reputation for acceptance within the metro.
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What about beyond city limits? WESH 2's Matt Lupoli traveled from the coast to the countryside to find out Pulse’s impact on Central Florida.
No matter how many miles out from Orlando, people all over Central Florida felt the wave of sorrow when the attack happened.
"It was very difficult,” Justin Cercone said. "Even just driving by there and thinking about what happened there is a lot to handle."
Cercone has also felt a different kind of wave too over the years though, more akin to a shift in tide, slow but steady.
"We're in a different time now and grateful for that,” Cercone said.
A few years ago, he got involved with the group Space Coast Pride. Now, he's president.
"We're moving it to historic downtown Melbourne,” Cercone said.
This year's Space Coast Pride festival will be the biggest in its history, a trend it's maintained over the past decade.
"It was the living room, is what it was called and it was a small picnic in a park was the first one,” Cercone said. "2019 we had 12,000 people attend. We had it in the Eau Gallie Arts District that year. There's more acceptance."
He added:
"We definitely are more conservative in Brevard County and we are very grateful and lucky even during our festivals and stuff we've not had a lot of issues there and we hope that continues but it's a discussion we have to have."
LGBTQ organizations in the outlying areas of Central Florida are few and far between.
Unlike Orlando, where there are three times the number groups found in the rest of the area. Where do they exist, they are strong.
One of them is about 60 miles away from Orlando, and in the opposite direction from the coast in The Villages.
"We are very, very fortunate to be able to live our life this way,” Wendy O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell and Peggy Garvin are married and have lived in The Villages for over 20 years.
They helped found the Rainbow Family and Friends in The Villages, welcoming in countless newcomers over the years like Jill Schwartz.
"As conservative as this area is, the gay people that I know have never had a problem with their neighbors, they are friends with their neighbors, they go to neighborhood outings and picnics and things. So we've sort of been lucky that way. Now, I don't know how neighbors will feel about the transgender community, because that is different, but when it comes to gays and lesbians they've just been fine,” Jill Schwartz said.
Sometimes these friends are here to help neighbors searching for advice and understanding.
"We're having grandparents come and say, my grandson is now transgender,” Garvin said. “We tell them just love her the way she is and be open with her."
Garvin has also been working to help create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ kids in nearby schools.
“I know hard it was for us growing up. We had to be invisible. The kids today are not invisible. They have social media, which we didn't have, so they're out there and they're more vulnerable,” Garvin said.
It took some work over the years, getting people in their own generation to feel a sense of freedom.
"People had spent their career as teachers or military or government workers that looked over their shoulder their whole life,” O’Donnell said.
Kim Fielding and wife Suzi Basting run the produce and plant store Kim's Cabbage Patch along State Road 50.
"Twenty years in Clermont, Florida, started out just a little fruit stand and we're blessed to be here now 20 years later," Fielding said.
"We're like ‘the country’ for Orlando,” Basting said.
There, everybody's a friend.
"This is a happy place,” Basting said. It's also a place of remembrance now.
Five years after Pulse, everybody passing by sees the effect the attack had there.
"We organized a lot of things out there. Benefits and fundraising and all of that,” Basting said. "It was devastating for a lot of people, not just us, everybody.”
That's why their walls honor the 49.
"Those kids, my god, they didn't have a chance,” Basting said.
"We painted the front window, then we did the heart, and we couldn't stop, so we did the door,” Fielding said.
Some people who pass by stop just to see it and some sign it.
For Fielding, one survivor's visit is especially memorable.
"She'd been shot twelve times,” Fielding said. "She kept driving by going back and forth to the doctors, and she goes, ‘I just want to get well enough to walk in there and sign that wall.’ I hugged that child like there was no tomorrow."
As long as they're here, their special piece of Clermont will recognize the place they knew well in Orlando, the people lost and the lives changed.
"They have the 49 bells they ring every year, across the country, across the world, all these churches and a bunch of different people and we join in. We're a small little place with a little tiny bell and we say all their names and ring our bell.” Basting said.
"We can't forget’em -- cannot forget ’em,” Fielding said.
June 10, 2021 at 06:55AM
https://www.wesh.com/article/pulse-tragedy-continues-to-bring-change-throughout-central-florida/36667072
'We can't forget ’em': Pulse tragedy continues to bring change throughout Central Florida - WESH 2 Orlando
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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