Pulse 10th anniversary remembrance ceremony: ‘We remain Orlando United’

For years, Myreanna Bebe felt guilty celebrating her birthday, which came just one day after her brother, 19-year-old Jason Benjamin Josaphat, was among the 49 killed in the Pulse nightclub attack on June 12, 2016.

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But as she spoke Friday at the remembrance ceremony marking the tragedy’s 10th anniversary, she said she had grown to believe that the timing was no coincidence, and that her brother is still always with her.

“I believe my brother was reminding me of something. Every year, the day he left this Earth is followed by the day I entered it,” she said at the event held at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando. “Almost as if he was saying ‘Keep going Myreanna’…that I still had a purpose and that I still had so much work to do. That I had a reason to still keep living.”

The ceremony was attended by survivors of the attack and families of the 49 “angels,” as the victims are known. A 49-second moment of silence was observed and the church’s bells were tolled 49 times. Lights were dimmed as remembrance candles were passed out to all in attendance.

A video was played of victims’ relatives reading out their loved one’s name as their photos were shown. One young boy read the name of his uncle, 21-year-old Cory James Connell, who he was named after. He said his uncle, who he never got the chance to meet, is the person who inspires him the most.

The ceremony was also attended by local officials who played key roles in the region’s response to the attack, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who was chief of the Orlando Police Department a decade ago.

Dyer reflected on the community’s struggle, and strength, during the past decade.

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“There have been challenges, there’s been setbacks, there’s been anger, and there’s been disappointments,” he said. “But what I can promise as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond is that our community will continue to offer love and hope to the families and survivors and all who are impacted by this tragedy.”

Dyer said the city will continue to honor the 49 victims and reaffirmed his promise that the long-sought permanent memorial to the tragedy will be completed next fall, by the time he leaves office.

“This is who we are as a community. Time has passed, but we remain Orlando United,” he added.

The ceremony also featured performances from the Orlando Gay Chorus and other singers. Orlando’s poet laureate, Camara Gaither, recited a poem she composed for the event, speaking about the victims and their enduring impact in the hearts of their loved ones and the community.

“We still see them luminous, like the stars, feeling both near and far, enough to hold all of this grief and gratitude all at once,” she said. “Showing us how a person’s presence can feel light years away and right next to us at the same time. They are forever embers in our orbit.”

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