Pulse (nightclub)

Last updated

Pulse
Pulse Orlando logo.svg
Orlando FL Pulse Nightclub01.jpg
Exterior in 2019
Pulse (nightclub)
Full namePulse Orlando
Address1912 South Orange Avenue
Location Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Owner
  • Barbara Poma
  • Ron Legler
OpenedJuly 2, 2004;19 years ago (2004-07-02)
ClosedJune 12, 2016
Website
Pulse Orlando Website memorial at the Wayback Machine (archived January 9, 2024)

Pulse was a gay bar, dance club, and nightclub in Orlando, Florida, founded in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. On June 12, 2016, the club was the scene of the second worst mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history, and the second deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 other people were injured.

Contents

Description

Pulse representation at Come Out with Pride, 2009 Procession of Pulse nightclub at Come Out With Pride Parade 2009 (4010590470).jpg
Pulse representation at Come Out with Pride, 2009

Pulse hosted themed performances each night and had a monthly program featuring educational events geared towards the LGBT community. [1] According to Orlando Weekly , Pulse featured "three glitzy, throbbing rooms of club boys, twinks and twinks at heart. Every night has something different in store, but Pulse is known to have some pretty impressive drag shows, and the bar's dancers are usually gorgeous." [2] Because of the three areas, Lonely Planet Discover Florida deemed it "three nightclubs," [3] while their Florida volume focused on it being "ultramodern." [4]

Top 10 Orlando called it a "firm favorite for the Orlando gay crowd," [5] The Rough Guide to Florida deemed it "justifiably popular," citing its "great lighting and sound plus cabaret performers, drag acts, and erotic dancers." [6] Pulse was the only gay club mentioned in The Rough Guide to the USA for Orlando. [7] According to listings, the entire premises, including the washrooms, were accessible. [8] Using "periodic consumer surveys," Zagat rated Pulse 25/30 for atmosphere, 25/30 decor, and 22/30 service. [9]

History

Then-President Barack Obama stating Pulse was a refuge for LGBT and Hispanic people

In 1985—prior to Pulse's founding—the property located at 1912 South Orange Avenue was home to a pizza restaurant named Lorenzo's. [10] By 1999, it was called Dante's, a bar with live music. [11] Dante's closed in January 2003. [12]

Founded by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler, Pulse opened on July 2, 2004. [13] [1] [14] Poma's brother, John, died in 1991 from AIDS, and the club is "named for John's pulse to live on," according to a marketing staff member in February 2016. [15] [16] The venue had a focus on local talent. [16] Poma ensured that her brother's memory was prominent on the website, and that the facility was more than "just another gay club." [15] Legler, who was president of the Florida Theatrical Association when Pulse was founded, also founded two nightclubs in Lake Eola Park in 2010, before moving to Baltimore in 2014. [17] The Washington Post described the club's first 12 years as "a community hub for HIV prevention, breast-cancer awareness and immigrant rights," and reported it had partnered with educational and advocacy groups such as Come Out with Pride, Equality Florida, and the Zebra Coalition. [15]

June 2016 massacre

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson visits Pulse and the makeshift memorial outside of it on the three-month anniversary of the shooting Secretary Johnson pays Respect at Pulse Nightclub (29619443211).jpg
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson visits Pulse and the makeshift memorial outside of it on the three-month anniversary of the shooting

On June 12, 2016, a 29-year-old Muslim extremist named Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and wounded 58 others in a mass shooting. Mateen affirmed he was acting on behalf of the terrorist group IS, and swore allegiance to the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. [18] [19] On the day of the shooting, IS had also released a statement via Amaq News Agency, taking responsibility for the attack. [20] The attack was the deadliest single gunman mass shooting in United States history until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history, surpassing the UpStairs Lounge arson attack of 1973, [26] and the second deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks of 2001. [27] [28] [29]

In November 2016, the city of Orlando agreed to buy the nightclub for $2.25 million. Mayor Buddy Dyer expressed plans to convert the nightclub into a memorial to honor the memory of the victims. [30]

Barbara Poma, the owner, refused to sell the nightclub to the city in December 2016. [31] Instead she announced in May 2017 the creation of the onePULSE Foundation to independently fund a Pulse Memorial and Museum planned to open in 2022. [32]

On 19 October 2023, the city of Orlando announced they had purchased the Pulse nightclub and would demolish the existing structure and build a permanent memorial on the former site. As of December 2023, the nightclub remains standing. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G4S Secure Solutions</span> American-British security services company

G4S Secure Solutions (USA) is an American/British-based security services company, and a subsidiary of G4S plc. It was founded as The Wackenhut Corporation in 1954, in Coral Gables, Florida, by George Wackenhut and three partners. In 2002, the company was acquired for $570 million by Danish corporation Group 4 Falck. In 2010, G4S Wackenhut changed its name to G4S Secure Solutions (USA) to reflect the new business model. The G4S Americas Region headquarters is in Jupiter, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G4S</span> British multinational private security services company

G4S is a British multinational private security company headquartered in London, England. The company was set up in July 2004 when London-based Securicor amalgamated with Danish firm Group 4 Falck. The company offers a range of services, including the supply of security personnel, monitoring equipment, response units and secure prisoner transportation. G4S also works with governments overseas to deliver security services.

In the United States, domestic terrorism is defined as terrorist acts that were carried out within the United States by U.S. citizens and/or U.S. permanent residents. As of 2021, the United States government considers white supremacists to be the top domestic terrorism threat.

News 13 is an American cable news television channel owned by Charter Communications. The channel provides 24-hour rolling news coverage focused primarily on Central Florida, specifically Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties.

Martin County High School is a public high school in Stuart, Florida, USA, in the Martin County School District. The school enrolled 2,079 students in a 2012 census. In 2022, it was a "B" rated school through the Florida Department of Education.

St. Lucie West Centennial High School is a public high school in Port St. Lucie, Florida, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Waheeb</span> ISIL field commander

Shaker Wahib al-Fahdawi al-Dulaimi, better known as Abu Waheeb, was a leader of the Islamic State in Anbar, Iraq. He killed three Syrian truck drivers in Iraq in the summer of 2013, and was himself killed, with three others, in a United States-led coalition airstrike in May 2016, according to the US Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulse nightclub shooting</span> 2016 mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, US

On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States before Orlando Police officers fatally shot him after a three-hour standoff.

Orlando shooting may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Mateen</span> American mass murderer (1986–2016)

Omar Mir Seddique Mateen was an American terrorist and mass murderer who murdered 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, before he was killed in a shootout with the local police. It was the deadliest shooting by a single shooter in United States history until the Las Vegas Strip shooting on October 1, 2017.

Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, was an American suicide bomber who killed himself and several Syrian troops with a truck bomb in Ariha, Syria in the name of al-Nusra Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Out with Pride</span> US nonprofit organization

Come Out with Pride (COWP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Orlando, Florida, that has organized an annual pride event of the same name since 2005. The group was cited as an example of the community activities centered at the Pulse nightclub following a terrorist attack on that location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack'd</span> Chat and dating app

Jack'd is a location-based chat and dating app catering to gay and bisexual men. It is available for Android, iPhone, and Windows phones. Jack'd was previously owned by Online Buddies, owner of Manhunt. In 2019, Perry Street Software, the parent company of Scruff, bought Jack’d for an undisclosed sum.

Amaq News Agency is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq is often the "first point of publication for claims of responsibility" for terrorist attacks in Western countries by the Islamic State. In March 2019, Amaq News Agency was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States Department of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Kunst</span> American activist and perennial candidate

Bob Kunst is an American gay rights activist and perennial candidate.

On June 5, 2017, John Robert Neumann Jr., a 45-year-old former employee of Fiamma, killed five former colleagues inside a FIamma Inc. location in Orlando, Florida, before killing himself. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Neumann did not appear to belong to any kind of subversive or terrorist group, and that he appeared to be a "disgruntled employee".

The first Pride March in Gurgaon, India was hosted on 25 June 2016, at Sector -29 Leisure Valley. It was created in order to fill the vacuum of spaces that are queer friendly and pave way to creating a culture of LGBTQIA+ community meets and open dialogue. The LGBTQ community all around the world is under constant threat of abuse, discrimination and even criminalization. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code considers homosexuality as unnatural or against the order of nature.

Gays Against Guns (GAG) is a direct action group of LGBTQ people committed to ending gun violence through nonviolent means, civil disobedience, and activism. The group was founded by Kevin Hertzog, Brian Worth and John Grauwiler in 2016, as a result of the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida which had killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting. It is the deadliest incident of violence against LGBTQ people in U.S. history and the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulse Memorial and Museum</span> Museum under construction

The National Pulse Memorial and Museum was a planned memorial and museum commemorating victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting at Pulse in 2016, originally planned to open in 2022. In late October 2023, plans for the Memorial and Museum were permanently suspended.

This is a timeline of terrorist attacks in the United States throughout history.

References

  1. 1 2 Hjelmgaard, Kim (June 12, 2016). "Scene of mass shooting more than 'just another gay club'". USA Today. Gannett Company. ISSN   0734-7456. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Orlando gay bars". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  3. ↑ Adam Karlin; Jeff Campbell; Jennifer Rasin Denniston; Emily Matchar (June 1, 2012). Lonely Planet Discover Florida . Lonely Planet. p.  154. ISBN   978-1-74321-015-4.
  4. ↑ Adam Karlin; Jennifer Rasin Denniston; Paula Hardy; Benedict Walker (December 1, 2014). Lonely Planet Florida. Lonely Planet Publications. p. 615. ISBN   978-1-74360-250-8. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ Cynthia Tunstall; Jim Tunstall (August 1, 2012). Top 10 Orlando. DK Publishing. p. 79. ISBN   978-0-7566-9461-6. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  6. ↑ Rough Guides (August 3, 2009). The Rough Guide to Florida (8th ed.). Penguin Group. p. 319. ISBN   978-1-4053-8013-3. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  7. ↑ Samantha Cook (March 1, 2011). The Rough Guide to the USA. Rough Guides. p. 1082. ISBN   978-1-4053-8954-9. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ Frances Green (April 1, 2012). Gayellow Pages USA No. 34 2012-2013. Renaissance House. p. 276. ISBN   978-1-885404-28-2. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  9. ↑ "PULSE - Zagat Review". Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ Sherman, Chris. "What's Cooking in Pizza Circles Archived September 21, 2018, at the Wayback Machine ". The Orlando Sentinel. July 19, 1985.
  11. ↑ Joseph, Scott. "A Fortuitous Fusion Archived September 21, 2018, at the Wayback Machine ". The Orlando Sentinel. February 26, 1999.
  12. ↑ Gray, Tyler. "Caught in Headlightz: Bar Changes Act Archived March 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine ". The Orlando Sentinel. January 17, 2003.
  13. ↑ Matthews, Mark K. "Pulse's Space a New Odyssey for Chic Archived September 21, 2018, at the Wayback Machine ". The Orlando Sentinel. July 9, 2004.
  14. ↑ West, James (June 12, 2016). "Orlando's Pulse Nightclub Was Founded by a Woman Whose Brother Died from AIDS". Mother Jones. Foundation for National Progress. ISSN   0362-8841. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 "Orlando's club Pulse owes its name and spirit to 'loving brother' who died from AIDS". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "The Pulse of Orlando". Next. February 3, 2013. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  17. ↑ Sentinel, Orlando (February 19, 2014). "Ron Legler, 'champion' of downtown and the arts, leaving Orlando". Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  18. ↑ Fais, Scott (June 15, 2016). "Mateen to News 13 producer: 'I'm the shooter. It's me.'". News 13. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  19. ↑ Miller, Michael E. (June 15, 2016). "'I'm the shooter. It's me': Gunman called local TV station during attack, station says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 15, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  20. ↑ "READ: Official ISIS Statement on Orlando Terror Attack by Amaq News Agency". Heavy. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Fifty dead in Orlando gay nightclub shooting, worst mass killing in modern U.S. history; gunman reportedly pledged allegiance to Islamic State". Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  22. ↑ Lyons, Kate (June 12, 2016). "Orlando Pulse club attack: gunman behind shooting that killed 49 'named as Omar Mateen'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Gunman in nightclub shooting had been investigated for terrorist links". CBC News. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  24. ↑ Beckett, Lois (June 12, 2016). "Orlando nightclub attack is deadliest US mass shooting in modern history". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  25. ↑ Yeung, Peter (June 12, 2016). "Gunman's 'terror attack' on gay nightclub leaves 50 dead". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  26. ↑ Stern, Mark Joseph (June 12, 2016). "The Long, Tragic History of Violence at LGBTQ Bars and Clubs in America". Slate. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  27. ↑ Fantz, Ashley; Karimi, Faith; McLaughlin, Eliott C. (June 12, 2016). "50 killed in Florida nightclub, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance". CNN. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Obama: Orlando An Act Of 'Terror And Hate'". Sky News. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  29. ↑ Swanson, Ann (June 12, 2016). "The Orlando attack could transform the picture of post-9/11 terrorism in America". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  30. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (November 9, 2016). "City of Orlando Buying Pulse Nightclub to Create Memorial". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Pulse nightclub owner says she won't sell to city". Orlando Sentinel. December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  32. ↑ Bendix, Aria. "Pulse Nightclub to Become a Memorial and Museum". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  33. ↑ https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/10/19/pulse-nightclub-city-of-orlando-shooting-memorial/71237851007/
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.