Aaron Martinez

El Paso Times

Amid the mournful music of bagpipes and the wavering glimmer of candlelight, some 200 tearful El Pasoans gathered at San Jacinto Plaza to pray for the victims of the nation's largest mass shooting Sunday.

"I would have to say that the LGBTQI community has been discriminated against for many years and a lot of hate crimes have been committed against this community," said the Rev. Kati Lois Houts, the pastor at Metropolitan Community Church of El Paso. "So to have people here in El Paso come out in mass and say, 'You're loved and we will take care of you and we are sorry for this tragedy,' spoke volumes to everyone."

At about 2 a.m. Sunday, a gunman walked into a Florida nightclub, Pulse Orlando, and opened fire, killing 50 people in what marks the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history. The gunman, Omar Mateen, died in a shootout with Orlando Police Department officers, according to the Associated Press. Mateen had allegedly declared allegiance to the Islamic State before he was shot by officers, the AP reports.

In El Paso and Las Cruces as across the nation, emotional prayer vigils were quickly organized and pleas for unity voiced loudly as rainbow flags waved in the background.

In Downtown El Paso, the crowd recited the Beatitudes, the eight blessings in the Gospel of Matthew that include the phrase "blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

"I've been heavy-hearted all day and I just felt it was the right thing to do to come and support the victims," said Phillip Tubbs, who attended the event.

Crystal Martinez, an El Paso Sun City Pride member, said it was important and meaningful that the community showed up to the vigil.

"It was just amazing to see the support we got tonight from the El Paso community," she said.

Houts said El Paso has historically embraced the LGBTQI community.

"I believe this city has a live-and-let-live attitude," Houts said. "I've been here nine years and I haven't met anybody yet that has said unkind words. It doesn't mean political things might not arise, but the LGBTQI community continues to grow in a positive direction."

El Paso Support

An emotional plea for unity, love and equality was also delivered by area leaders and gay rights activists during an afternoon Sunday press conference, and the lights on the Interstate 10 downtown interchange were lit in LGBT flag colors in honor of the Orlando victims.

"We all wept with Orlando. We cried with Orlando. ... We want Orlando to know we support them and are with them,” El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar said during a press conference outside the El Paso County Courthouse Sunday. “This was act of terror. It attacked a particular group. There is no doubt it was an attack on the LGBT community. It was an attack on America, and we must stand together.”

Escobar and other area elected officials and activists addressed the hatred shown in the attack, saying El Paso has always been a leader in promoting equal rights and that supporting the LGBT community is no different.

"Today we are demonstrating we will stand with our community no matter what background they come from,” Sen. Jose Rodríguez, D-El Paso, said. “We send our condolences to Orlando. We are with them (Orlando) and we will always stand with them."

With the support of the El Paso Sun City Pride, area leaders organized the press conference as details of the shooting developed. The event was attended by Escobar, Rodriguez, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles, El Paso Independent School District Trustee Susie Byrd, state Rep. Joe Moody and several other city and state leaders.

“I think especially with this attack on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community in Orlando, it is really important to remember that we (El Paso) have worked really hard to take a leadership role going back a hundred year to ensure everyone is included, everyone is treated with respect and everyone is considered equal under the law,” O'Rourke said after the press conference.

O'Rourke said El Paso has long advocated to protect the civil rights of all groups, including the LGBTQI community. The city extended health care benefits to same-sex partners of city and county employees in 2009 amid protests in the city and across Texas. The county soon followed.

El Paso Sun City Pride President Edward Gallardo III said the tragic event shows the need to educate the national about the LGBTQI community.

"We, too, stand in solidarity for the victims in Orlando, the LGBT community and the LGBTQI allies," Gallardo said. “We always stand for inclusivity, instead of exclusivity and that is so important in so many ways."

The massacre happened amid LGBT Pride Month, celebrated across the United States in June each year. In El Paso, the Sun City Pride’s 9th annual festival and parade was held June 4 without incident.

“Just last week we celebrated who we are," Gallardo added. "It is not just about one week or one month or one event, it is about what we do for the community that nobody really knows about.”

Earlier this month, area leaders and gay rights advocates launched a campaign against discrimination toward the LBGTQI community in partnership with Equality Texas, the largest organization in the state dedicated to secure full equality in the community.

Security Concerns

Out of an abundance of caution, police have stepped up patrols in gay neighborhoods in several major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco following Sunday’s attack in Orlando, USA Today reports.

El Paso law enforcement will also increase their vigilance in the wake of the shooting, but will not increase the number of patrol units in popular bar areas, Wiles said.

“We are understanding of this issue,” Wiles said. “We were on a mass call with the FBI and Homeland Security and there is no information on additional threats, but certainly we have employees that work with the (El Paso Police) Department’s Fusion Center, intel center and joint terrorism task force, so we get information quick and fast when things are about to happen or have already happened."

Wiles said there are too many nightclubs and bars across the city to provide extra security at each one.

"We certainly are paying more attention to the issue, and if we get any information we will respond appropriately,” he said.

El Paso police officials couldn't be reached for comment Sunday.

O’Rourke said the shooting in Orlando and past events connected to terrorism should not be linked to border security, which he said often happens when tragedies like this occur.

“This is a terrible event, but it has nothing to do with border security,” O’Rourke said after the press conference. “I think when people conflate a tragedy like that ... with the border, which happens every time, not only hurts us, but it makes our life harder as we travel across our international bridges."

He said that it "takes this country’s eyes off the ball on the real threats that happen here whether those are homegrown radicals or people radicalized on the internet or people coming in through our international airports.”

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the agency is investigating the shooting, while adding his support for the LGTBQ community.

“As the President (Barack Obama) just stated, the deadly shooting in the early morning hours in Orlando is the worst in U.S. history,” Johnson said in a statement. “As the President also stated, it was an act of terror and an act of hate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

U.S. Customs and Broder Protection officials in El Paso declined to comment on any possible increases in security at El Paso ports of entries. They directed all calls to El Paso FBI officials.

El Paso FBI officials said all responses related to the shooting will be released by the FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C., which has not sent out any information on whether the shooting would immediately impact border crossings.

Politics

In order to ensure civil rights for all Americans, O’Rourke called for all institutions, especially church leaders, to support the LGBQTI community.

“I think we need our church leaders to step up,” said O’Rourke, who said he was baptized and brought up in the Catholic faith. “I'd like to see the Catholic Church, which has been incredibly intolerant towards our gay community, I'd like to see them at events like these. I'd like to see them recognizing gay marriage and performing gay marriages."

"I think we need to ask every institution in this community and in this country to step up,” he said.

Officials with the El Paso Catholic Diocese could not be reached for comment Sunday night.

Pope Francis issued a statement by Holy See press officer Father Federico Lombardi.

"The terrible massacre that has taken place in Orlando, with its dreadfully high number of innocent victims, has caused in Pope Francis, and in all of us, the deepest feelings of horror and condemnation, of pain and turmoil before this new manifestation of homicidal folly and senseless hatred," the statement reads.

The shooting sparked conversations about more than gay rights across the nation and in El Paso.

Change must also come from political leaders as hate speech continues to be a hot topic among presidential candidates and members of the U.S. Congress, O’Rourke said.

“I hope this tragic event make this more personal and I think perhaps for political gains at times people have justified exclusion, segregation and even hate speech under the disguise of religious freedom and freedom of conscience,” O’Rourke said. “I hope this tragedy will make every member of congress and every presidential candidate realize that this hateful speech, this rhetoric, this hiding behind religious freedom has some real terrible consequences taken to its logical conclusion."

When it comes to gun rights, freedom doesn’t mean you can deny our fellow citizen their rights, O’Rourke said.

“I think we need to do a much better job when it comes to Second Amendment rights. I think everyone has to have a background check and that doesn’t happen in this country today," O'Rourke said. "I don’t think anyone needs to own a military assault rifle, there is not good justification for it especially when it can be used in terror and hate crimes like we saw in Orlando. But you have a congress, the majority of whom today cowards at the NRA and the gun lobby and is unwilling to do the right thing. Perhaps this terrible event will give those who have been unwilling to the backbone and the political courage to do the right thing.”

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.

El Paso Times digital content producer Sara Sanchez contributed to this report.

Community Meeting

What: Inaugural meeting of the LGBTQ Community Advisory Committee, part of several District Advisory Committees formed by state Sen. Jose Rodriguez.

When: 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Where: 100 S. Ochoa Street, Ste. A

Information: 351-3500