In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the Orlando tragedy, several faculty/staff groups, student groups, and campus partners at the University of Texas at Austin have come together to plan a morning vigil and daytime visitation. The secular vigil will take place from 9 – 10 AM on the Main Tower (MAI) steps facing West Mall. After a land recognition statement, we will hear from Sebastián Colón-Otero, a psychotherapist and diversity coordinator at UT’s Counseling and Mental Health ...
In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the Orlando tragedy, several faculty/staff groups, student groups, and campus partners at the University of Texas at Austin have come together to plan a morning vigil and daytime visitation. The secular vigil will take place from 9 – 10 AM on the Main Tower (MAI) steps facing West Mall. After a land recognition statement, we will hear from Sebastián Colón-Otero, a psychotherapist and diversity coordinator at UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) and facilitator of the “Latinx Voices” discussion group. The vigil will conclude with a flower ceremony where attendees will read out the names and bios of the 49 victims, placing a flower on the altar for each. Counselors from the CMHC will be on site to help any attendees that need assistance with processing during the vigil. The altar will stay up for visitations from 10 AM – 5 PM and will include a table with various campus and community resources focusing on intersectional LGBTQ+ advocacy, health, and liberation. This event is open to the public.
The faculty/staff groups represented on the planning committee include the Asian/Asian American Faculty/Staff Association, the Black Faculty/Staff Association, the Hispanic Faculty/Staff Association, the LGBTQ/Sexualities Research Cluster, and the Pride & Equity Faculty/Staff Association. The student groups represented include Feminist Latinx Organizing for the Empowerment of Society, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Queer People of Color & Allies, Queer & Trans Student Alliance, and the University Leadership Initiative. The campus partners represented include the Center for Mexican American & Latinx Studies, the CMHC, the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies, the Gender & Sexuality Center, and the Multicultural Engagement Center.
