Panel Discussion June 26 To Feature Stonewall, Pulse Survivors

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Survivors of the Pulse Nightclub massacre and the 1969 Stonewall riots will come together in St. Petersburg Wednesday for a first-time community-wide panel discussion.

Hosted by Metro Inclusive Health, St. Petersburg's LGBTQ health center, and the LGBTQ advocacy organization, The Dru Project, the inter-generational panel event will feature speakers who experienced first-hand milestones in LGBTQ history starting with the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village 50 years ago to the murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in 1998 to the massacre of LGBTQ patrons at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando three years ago.

"This event is slated to be unlike any before it," said Cole Foust, Metro's LGBTQ division manager and panel moderator.

The panel includes two trans-women, one of whom has been HIV positive for 25 years; a close friend of Matthew Shepard; a Pulse survivor who has gone on to turn his grief into action and activism; and a gay white man who was on hand for the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement following the police raid on the Stonewall Inn.

“Generations will share their experiences. It's an opportunity for the entire community, people of all identities, to learn and connect through these historic events every generation should know about and learn from," Foust said.

The panel discussion, From Stonewall to Pulse, will take place June 26 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall at Metro's St. Petersburg headquarters, 3251 3rd Ave. N. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Scheduled panelists include:

• Brandon Wolf, survivor of 2016 Pulse massacre
• Christine Leinonen, mother of 2016 Pulse massacre victim Christopher Leinone
• Cristina Yelvington, coordinator for LGBTQ+ Initiatives at the University of South Florida
• Jason Marsden, executive director of The Matthew Shepard Foundation
• Jay Chetney, Stonewall Riots activist

Foust said it's a rare opportunity to hear stories from those who lived through the Stonewall riots and the AIDS crisis, and experienced the hate that led to the death of Matthew Shepard and the Pulse massacre.

"These people represent the most impactful, influential moments in LGBTQ history," he said. "These events aren't taught in history classes and many young LGBTQ people aren't unaware of the struggles that took place, what progress has been made and what we have left to do."

Foust said the night's stories will be videotaped and compiled in a mini documentary to share.

After the panelists speak, community members are invited to join the discussion.

"Every story and experience matters," Foust said.

There will be hors d'oeuvres after the event. Beverages will be available by donation before and during the event.

Those interested in attending should click here to register.

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