After the Orlando shooting, the world came together to make sure love can still win.
In response to the tragedy in Orlando, people came together in grieving and solidarity.
Hate is a hard feeling to get past. Tragedies like the shooting in Orlando remind us that hate — true, poisonous hate — not only exists, but can exist so potently as to snuff out human life.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.
In the wake of such tragedies, however, we also see images that help restore humanity to a world constantly under attack.
We see images of solidarity, tears, and held hands. We see candles and flowers laid on the ground by strangers. We see images of people from all walks of life, across oceans and international borders, coming together to show that hate is vastly outnumbered by the acts of love and compassion that fight it.
Photo by Dario Pignatelli/Getty Images.
In the coming days, you’ll find endless discussion about where we go from here. How do we prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future? How does this affect policy? What president should we elect? How do we win the fight against hate?
Here are some of the most iconic responses to the Orlando shooting from around the world.
In New York, members of the LGBT community and their supporters gathered outside the Stonewall Inn, site of the 1969 riots that helped launch the modern gay rights movement.
Photo by Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images.
Many cities, like San Diego, flew the gay pride flag at half-mast above and outside landmarks.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
New York City's One World Trade Center was among the buildings lit up in rainbow colors as a tribute to the Orlando victims.
Photo by Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images.
But perhaps the most powerful statements were ones made by ordinary people, brought together by a flood of emotion.
In cities around the world, people gathered in solidarity with the victims of the shooting and with the larger LGBT community itself.
Dallas:
Photo by Laura Buckman/AFP/Getty Images.
Chicago:
Photo by Nova Safo/AFP/Getty Images.
Washington, D.C.:
Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images.
Mumbai, India:
Photo by Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images.
Sydney, Australia:
Photo by William West/AFP/Getty Images.
Berlin:
Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images.
Seoul, South Korea:
Photo by Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images.
Hong Kong:
Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images.
Bangkok:
Photo by Dario Pignatelli/Getty Images.
Wellington, New Zealand:
Photo by Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images.
Love is stronger than hate. Telling ourselves that is important, but it means little if we don't believe it and act on it too.
It's easy to feel as though the world is beyond saving or to give in to cynicism. But there's a lesson to be learned here, a lesson that exists in the images of flickering candles, flags, and lit-up monuments from all over the world.
Love has already won. We’ve already won.