Half a decade after the horrific mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, my heart is still with the victims, their loved ones, the survivors and the entire Florida LGBTQ+ community.

Washington DC – U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement in remembrance of the deadly June 12^th shooting five years ago at the historic Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL, in which 49 people were murdered:

“Half a decade after the horrific mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, my heart is still with the victims, their loved ones, the survivors and the entire Florida LGBTQ+ community. The 49 souls killed that day were all taken far before their time, victims of the homophobia and transphobia that far too few are willing to recognize. We must also remember that the victims were mostly queer people of color, who face heightened vulnerability to acts of violence and hate. Who they were and what they stood for will not be forgotten.

As we mourn those who were taken from us in this senseless act of hateful violence, we must also protect survivors and the broader LGBTQ+ community. And that includes standing up and speaking out against the homophobic and transphobic policies Florida’s Governor and state legislature rammed through this year. As an ally, I stand united with the LGBTQ+ community in opposition to this institutionalized bigotry, and I will continue to fight for equality and justice for marginalized communities throughout Florida.”

The 49 people who died in the shooting: Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34; Stanley Almodovar III, 23; Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20; Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36; Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22; Luis S. Vielma, 22; Kimberly Morris, 37; Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30; Darryl Roman Burt II, 29; Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32; Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21; Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25; Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35; Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50; Amanda Alvear, 25; Martin Benitez Torres, 33; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37; Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26; Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35; Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25; Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31; Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26; Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25; Miguel Angel Honorato, 30; Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40; Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32; Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19; Cory James Connell, 21; Luis Daniel Conde, 39; Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33; Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31; Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25; Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25; Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24; Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27; Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33; Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49; Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, 24; Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32; Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28; Frank Hernandez, 27; Paul Terrell Henry, 41; Antonio Davon Brown, 29; Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24; Akyra Monet Murray, 18; and Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25.