Orlando Shooting Update: See Uplifting Story On How Pulse Nightclub Got Created [VIDEO]
Pulse nightclub has a story behind it that makes it more than what it seems.
On Saturday night, a shooting occurred at the club where a gunman reportedly killed 50 people and injured 53 others before he was shot dead by the SWAT team. The tragedy is known as one of the worst attacks in history.
But Pulse wasn't about being a typical gay bar. The site points out that there's more beyond that.
The club is co-owned by Barbara Poma, who created it in 2004 to honor her brother John who passed away in 1991 after a battle with HIV. The two had a close bond since John introduced his sister to the "gay scene."
"Being raised in a strict Italian family, being gay was frowned upon," the site says. "However, when John came out to his family and friends, the family dynamic transitioned from a culture of strict tradition to one of acceptance and love."
Barbara opened Pulse with her friend Ron Legler that would make her brother proud and embrace the gay lifestyle. The title for the club is dedicated to John and his heartbeat "where he is kept alive in the eyes of his friends and family."
The club has worked with a number of different organizations and is meant to help spread equality and love for everyone.
In a report from ABC, President Obama described the massacre as an "act of terror."
"We stand with the people of Orlando who have endured a terrible attack on their city," he said. "This could have been any one of our cities."
The president mentioned earlier this week that the LGBT community still faces such horrendous discrimination for being who they are.
"We've got work to do when LGBT people around the world still face incredible isolation and poverty and persecution and violence, and even death," he said. "We have work to make sure that every single child, no matter who they are or where they come from or what they look like or how they live, feels welcomed and valued and loved."
