As more and more details pour in about the horrific act of terrorism that occurred over the weekend at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, it becomes even more heartbreaking to sift through the terrible details of that night. It was painful to read the names of the victims. It became almost impossible to bear when Facebook users began posting personal recollections of those who were brutally murdered. Now, one Instagram photo has made the grieving process even more difficult. Not because it features any horror and bloodshed, but because it’s one of the last glimpses of the club before the shooter carried out his unspeakable acts. It’s a picture of the club’s stage, full of smiling faces in the front row turned towards a high-energy performer. Now, the photo’s caption reads, “all of them are gone.”
The photo, posted by former Drag Race contestant and female impersonator Kenya Michaels, doesn’t mince words. It doesn’t ask for sympathy and there are no calls for hopes, prayers, or any kind of reform. It is simply an important artifact of a moment in time before everything was taken away from the people gathered to celebrate, from Michaels, and from the LGBT+ community at large. A moment before the perceived safety of an inclusive space was shattered forever.
Michaels’ account is private, but this photo is far too important not to share. It’s one of the last remaining images of Pulse before it became the opposite of everything it stood for — a place of hatred and violence as opposed to a place of safety and joy. It’s a joy that may never be regained.