One day before the nine-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed flags to be flown at half staff in remembrance. His statement, however, omits mention of LGBTQ and Hispanic communities, two groups that made up most of the victims.
The mass shooting, during which 49 people were killed, 53 were wounded and countless were permanently affected, took place June 12, 2016, in Orlando. In years prior, including last year and at least the three prior, DeSantis acknowledged these identifying characteristics of victims.
Last year’s statement referred to the massacre as a “horrific act of terrorism against the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities.”
This year’s statement, however, reads, “a shooter claiming alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant committed a horrific act of terrorism at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.”
The full memo:
TO: Brian Fienemann, Director of Real Estate Development Management
FROM: Governor Ron DeSantis
DATE: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
RE: Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Pulse Remembrance Day
Nine years ago, on June 12, 2016, a shooter claiming alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant committed a horrific act of terrorism at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were killed and fifty-three were wounded. 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 Thursday, June 12, 2025.
During DeSantis’ first year in office in 2019, he similarly omitted mention of the groups most affected in his initial message on the anniversary of the shooting, which earned him widespread backlash. Ultimately, a different version of the message that included the groups was released the following day, before DeSantis visited the Pulse site just south of downtown.
The glaring omission of identity descriptors reflects DeSantis’ recent efforts to bolster “anti-DEI” initiatives in state politics and social arenas, as well as to permanently cut DEI and critical race theory ideologies from Florida schools and universities.
DeSantis in 2023 signed into law a measure that prevents colleges from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. He’s also been unmoving in attempts to fill university presidential positions and top state education positions with Republican allies.
These efforts are also ripped straight from the current Trump administration’s playbook to remove mention of minorities, disproportionately affected communities, and significant historical figures and movements in government documents and proceedings. Federal directives from the Trump administration have even trickled down into local government, inspiring the Orange County Arts & Culture Advisory Council’s quiet removal of the word “diverse” from its mission statement last month.
DeSantis’ curiously neutered memorial statement comes amid plenty of change surrounding the Pulse site and proposed memorial. State budget leaders Wednesday approved funds reaching nearly $400,000 to go toward an official and permanent memorial site to commemorate the shooting — if approved by Gov. DeSantis in the final budget.
The Orange County board of commissioners also recently committed a pledge of $5 million for the memorial, which is expected to cost about $12 million total.
Ahead of the site’s demolition to make way for the memorial, visits for survivors, family members and loved ones to enter the building opened this week.
A Pulse Remembrance Ceremony for families, survivors, and the community is scheduled for Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando. The ceremony, free and open to the public, will also be live-streamed online on YouTube. You can find more information about the ceremony here.
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This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2025.
