Charlottetown vigil planned for Orlando nightclub shooting

Pride P.E.I. is hosting a vigil in memory of the 49people killed in an Orlando nightclub shooting over the weekend.

In addition to the dead, 53 people were injured in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

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"It was very, very hard not to take that personally, as a member of the LGBTQ community," said Pride P.E.I. board member Maureen Pendergast.

"It left me physically sick inside and very, very angry."

The incident is being called an act of terrorism because the shooter had pledged allegiance to ISIS and a hate crime because it specifically targeted a gay nightclub.

#LoveWins

Pendergast said she would not judge an entire religious group by the actions of one person, noting the pride community is using#LoveWins on social media.

"You cannot help but say,'Hmm, I could have been there,' she said, adding that she has a house in Florida herself."That could have been me."

She urged Islanders to reach out and say something positive and supportive to LGBTQ people in their lives.

The vigil in Charlottetown is scheduled for Tuesday night from8 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was originallygoingto be heldin front of Province House, but was moved Monday morning to Trinity United Church.

Pendergastasked Islanders to come to the vigil and then continue to show supportfor the Island's LGBTQ community by attending P.E.I. Pride Week events the last week of July.

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