New York is celebrating its LGBTQ Pride week, the dedication of the Stonewall Inn as a national monument, and now, a second monument to honor the victims of the Orlando, FL, shooting and all hate crimes.
On June 26, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that a to-be-determined location will be designated as a monument to the 49 victims who were killed at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, on June 13.
"In the wake of tragedy in Orlando, I am establishing a commission to create a monument honoring the fight for equal rights and all victims of hate, intolerance and violence," Cuomo said in a June 26 statement obtained by amNY.
He also explained his decision on Twitter and said that the first step would be establishing a commission to decide where the monument will be.
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Today we’re appointing a commission to build a monument in honor of the victims of Orlando and hate crimes everywhere.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 26, 2016
When we heard about Orlando, it touched each and every one of us. It went to the core of us. It was everyone’s brother and sister.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 26, 2016
CBS New York is also reporting that some of the potential sites for the monument include Hudson River Park, Christopher Park, or Battery Park City. The 10-person commission will also choose an artist and a design for the monument. Gov. Cuomo said in his statement that he wants the monument to serve as a permanent reminder of the hate-fueled shooting. "We want this terrible event remembered and we want the lesson learned so it never happens again,” he said.