Zachary Blair

When I went to the Pulse Nightclub on the night of June 10, 2017, the first thing I saw was a sign posted with rules of the nightclub parking lot turned memorial. "We ask that visitors maintain proper etiquette, personal behavior, and conduct at all times." This need to construct sacred space through disciplining bodies was a disturbing reminder of the oppressive forces that are always at play. Partnered with an ever present police force, memorial tourists striking somber pos

Six months after the Pulse shooting, Orlando launched a "Safe Places" program in an effort to help victims of LGBT violence through "symbolic safety." "It is a voluntary program which allows businesses and other establishments to designate themselves as places that will report anti-LGBT incidents and allow victims to come inside and call police... Participating establishments are placing a rainbow-colored decal in their windows. In large letters, the stickers read ‘Report ant