Update 6/16/16 6:32 p.m.
After trying to follow many posts and leads, I think we finally know at least some of the plans of the Westboro church. While there are no plans that we can find for them to protest the individual funerals (and some families and churches are asking that only those attending the funeral show up at the sites), it seems that Westboro did apply for a permit for Saturday.
Here’s some official word from the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida:
COMMUNITY UPDATE: WESTBORO CHURCH HAS APPLIED FOR A PROTEST PERMIT WITH ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT
To Our Community,
It is with great sadness that we have to report that the Westboro Baptist Church has applied for a protest permit with the Orlando Police Department.
The protest permit request is from Saturday June 18th 2016 at 10:15am to Sunday June 19th 2016 at 1:30am at 130 North Magnolia Ave.
We are asking that the community form a counter protest to block out the WBC at this location. Please organize through your counter protest leadership, make sure you have the appropriate permits, and please remember that this organization funds itself by antagonizing grieving communities and subjecting them to hate speech in order to generate lawsuits.
Let’s shower them with our love. We are One Orlando, and we are One Love! We have the ability to counter this hate and show the world once again why we are the City Beautiful and we cannot be broken by hate and those that would challenge our way of life.
Terry DeCarlo
Executive Director
GLBT Community Center of Central Florida
The GLBT Community Center of Central Florida
946 North Mills Ave
Orlando, Florida 32803
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Orlando, FL : Thursday June 16th, 2016
Original Post:
I shared a post on Facebook yesterday that was shared over and over again. I was added to a group that mentioned the Westboro Church was coming to town to spew their hate at the funerals of the victims of the massacre that took place on Sunday June 12.
This is what I love about social media. Seriously, guys? Over a thousand shares?! THANK YOU!
I’m culling through and trying to compile a list of places and ways in which you can volunteer but I wanted to share this out quickly.
The Westboro Church has stated they were going to come to these funerals and hold up their hateful signs. To that end, a Facebook group was created to get folks to band together and go to these funerals to protect the grieving family and friends from this hateful group.
Here are details of upcoming funerals if you’d like to support.
Peter Ommy Gonzalez-Cruz
Viewing: June 16th 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Funeral and internment: June 17th 9:30am – 12:00pm
Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home
1413 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32807
Roy Hernandez
Viewing: Thursday, June 16, 1p-9pm and Friday, June 17, 1pm to 9pm
Funeral and internment: Saturday, June 18 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Hayes Funeral Home
241 O’Brien Road, Casselberry FL 32730
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera
Thursday, June 16th, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
San Juan Funeraria
3189 S John Young Pkwy, Kissimmee, Florida 34746
Rodolfo Ayala
Thursday, June 16th, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Loveworks Discovery Church 440 S. Orange Avenue
Luis Vielma
Friday, June 17th at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
All Souls Catholic Church
3280 W. 1st Street
Sandford, FL
Mass will be held on Saturday evening, 6/18 at 4:30 pm, the same location.
Cory Connell
Wake: Friday June 17th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Funeral: Saturday, June 18th at 10 a.m.
West Orlando Baptist Church
1006 E. Crown Point Road, 34761
Miguel Angel Honorate
Funeral: Tuesday, June 21st at 10 a.m.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
834 S Orange Blossom Trl, Apopka, Florida 32703
There were about 4 funerals today but they have already passed or are currently happening. I will update as I get details of more funerals. I’m currently trying to gather information for funerals happening out of town.
Please pass this on to anyone who would like to show up and shield the family from this hateful group. I’ll also be sharing additional needs as I get word on the Facebook page as it’s a quicker call-to-action.
Thank you for all you do for my city and our LGBTQ+ community.
Update: 6/16 3:47 p.m.: I updated the url of the group as the original group was hacked and is out of the originator’s control. I didn’t want incorrect information going out so, I updated as per the original creator. Side note: sometimes people suck!
Update: 6/16 6:11 p.m.
Christopher “Dru” Leinonen
Viewing: Friday, June 17th 12:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home
301 NE Ivanhoe Blvd, Orlando, FL 32804
Funeral: Saturday, June 18th at 11 a.m.
St. Luke’s Cathedral
130 North Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla
Viewing: Thursday, June 16th 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Newcomer Funeral Homes
895 South Goldenrod Road, Orlando, FL 32822
Internment: Friday, June 17th at 10:00 a.m.
Edward Sotomayor
Saturday, June 25th at 2 p.m.
Robarts Arena
3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34237
Juan Rivera & Luis Conde
Monday, June 20th 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Funeraria Porta Coeli
2801 E. Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL 34743
So, what'd you think?