ORLANDO, Fla. — Seven years ago, on June 12, 2016, a shooter committed a horrific act of terrorism against the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history as forty-nine people were killed and 53 were wounded in the shooting.
The shooter claimed he was in alliance with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
As years have passed since that unimaginable incident, here's how some of the lives lost on that day are still remembered and why many people in the LGBTQ community say recent laws in Florida are targeting them.
Remembering their lives
The Alvear family decided to turn their grief into giving by hosting the Amanda's Angels Legacy of Love toy drive every year in memory of Amanda Alvear, who would have turned 32 years old last December.
Mayra Alvear, Amanda's mom, said each year the event, which donates toys to the Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families in Orlando keeps growing.
A news release from the governor's office announced that all U.S. and Florida flags are set to be flown at half-staff on Monday in honor of Pulse Remembrance Day, which falls every year on June 12.
"As a mark of respect for the victims, their families, and the many affected by this tragedy, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida from sunrise to sunset on Monday, June 12, 2023," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement.
LGBTQ communities across the Tampa Bay area and the state also joined forces to honor the lives lost at another gay club shooting last year in Colorado.
The suspect accused of entering Club Q, a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community in the mostly conservative city of Colorado Springs, was in body armor and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle, killing five people and wounding 17 others.
To support the families who lost loved ones, St. Pete Pride said portions of their annual fundraiser last year went toward people killed and affected in Colorado Springs.
New laws in Florida
The Florida Board of Education approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades in April, expanding the law critics call “Don't Say Gay” at the request of DeSantis as he geared up for an expected presidential run.
The proposal took effect after a procedural notice period that lasted about a month, according to an education department spokesman.
The rule change bans lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. Florida currently bans such lessons in kindergarten through third grade.
Amid shootings and new laws, the Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency ” for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., calling on people in government and the business community to fight for equal rights.
On June 6, however, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a new Florida law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers.
“Gender identity is real,” Judge Robert Hinkle said, ruling that the state has no rational basis for denying patients treatment.
The lawsuit brought by the three children's parents challenges the law Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed shortly before he announced a run for president.
Celebrating Pride month in St. Pete
St. Pete Pride -- one of the country's largest Pride parade -- is set to continue even though recent laws were signed by DeSantis that critics say are anti-LGBTQ.
With the Pride event taking over downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday, June 24, crowds of people will be coming out and lining the streets for the free event.
"To honor our history, celebrate our community, and create an accessible, safe place for members of the LGBTQ+ community, St Pete Pride will be hosting the largest Pride festival to date," event leaders explain online.
To learn more about the event, click here.
The Associated Press and 10 Tampa Bay's Courtney Holland and Miguel Octavio contributed to this report.