Civic Engagement and Voting are Crucial

Smith also pointed to another effort that emerged in the years following the Pulse shooting: the Orlando United Assistance Center. The proposed program was designed to help survivors and family members pay medical bills, access mental health services, and receive case management support as they navigated the long-term effects of the tragedy. “Over two years, we got $200,000 for the Orlando United Assistance Center, and both years the governor vetoed these funds,” Smith said. 

The conversation shifted toward civic engagement and the role voters can play in shaping public policy. Robinson encouraged attendees to think about the upcoming elections and the importance of holding elected officials accountable for issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities and victims of gun violence.

“Our task is to write a different future that starts to heal from the ills of our past, but right now you still have governments across the country, at the state level and federal level, that are peddling anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to score political points in Washington, DC.,” Robinson said.

Robinson also highlighted the growing political influence of LGBTQ+ voters. She said an estimated 10% of the electorate identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community this year and noted that the percentage is expected to double by 2040.

“We have a critical opportunity this year, especially to make sure that the size of our community is translated into the power that we need to govern in the interest of our lives,” Robinson said. “There’s a unique opportunity that may only exist for one more election cycle to ensure that the balance of power changes, that the pendulum swings back in the right direction.”

Recognizing Victories, Progress, and Community Engagement

Although much of the discussion focused on ongoing challenges, panelists also emphasized the importance of recognizing victories achieved over the past decade. Pollitzer said Equality Florida has helped stop 35 of 37 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in recent years despite what he described as some of the greatest conservative political efforts the organization has faced.

He added that progress on LGBTQ+ rights and gun safety is possible, but only when people continue to engage with their communities and advocate for change. Sometimes, he said, advocacy comes in the form of a “brave parent standing at the microphone with tears in their eyes.”

As the discussion came to a close, Wolf asked each panelist a final question: “What is giving you hope for the next 10 years?”

Despite their different backgrounds and areas of advocacy, the panelists shared a common answer: the Orlando community.

Sen. Smith pointed to the “winged angel” volunteers who wore large white wings and formed a human barrier outside funeral services to shield grieving families from members of the Westboro Baptist Church who attempted to protest the funerals of Pulse victims.

Others found hope in the progress already made. For Robinson, that hope was reflected in milestones that once seemed unimaginable, including her own role as the first Black queer woman to lead the Human Rights Campaign.

“I always think that, yes, we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams, but we’re also somebody else’s ancestors’ wildest nightmare, and that gives me joy,” Robinson said. “Maybe because of what we do a generation from now, our kids could feel just as safe surrounded by American flags as they do when they’re surrounded by pride flags, but that starts today.”

As Orlando marks 10 years since Pulse, the panel served as both a reflection on loss and a reminder of the work that advocates say still lies ahead.