The Pride Center of WNY will host a vigil on Monday to honor the victims of the Orlando shooting. According to the nonprofit's Facebook page, the event is scheduled for 6pm at Niagara Square in Buffalo.
The attack in Orlando comes just one week after Buffalo celebrated gay pride in the Queen City.
Pride Center of WNY Senior Director, Matthew Crehan Higgins said, "The difficulty about things like this, of course, is that they are designed by the people who perpetrate them to instill fear and to make people want to stay home and hide or change their identity. I think, if anything, this is a time when we're reminded of the importance of visibility of being out, of coming together, and declaring that we're here, we exist, and that we're proud of ourselves."
Crehan Higgins said Buffalo hasn't received any threats around the Pride Parade in his two year tenure with the organization. But, he said safety is always top of mind.
Buffalo City Hall was lit in orange on Sunday to honor all 50 shooting victims.
