Orlando shooting: Saskatoon LGBTQ community ‘shocked and appalled’

Sunday marks the end to a 10-day long Saskatoon Pride Festival, a time to celebrate diversity and show support for the LGBTQ community. However, news of a deadly shooting at an Orlando, Fla., gay nightclub made the final celebrations even more significant.

“What this pool party does for me is, the fact, that I get to celebrate with my community that we are in a better place and that we are making progress and we can spend the time together because you don’t know what’s going to happen on a day-to-day basis,” said local pride festival co-chair Danny Papadatos, at a pool party during the festival on Sunday.

READ MORE: 50 people killed, 53 injured at gay nightclub in Florida

Papadatos said he woke up Sunday morning and was sickened to see what had transpired overnight.

“I can say for our entire community that we were all shocked and appalled because it can happen anywhere. It just takes one person to spread the hate speech,” said Papadatos.

READ MORE: Regina’s LGBTQ community and religious group ‘condemn’ deadly shooting in Orlando

WATCH: A successful pride celebration in Saskatoon was darkened Sunday by the Orlando night club shooting.  Ryan Kessler finds out if there will be any changes in the tragedy’s wake. 

2:30 ‘Disgust, shock and fear’ felt in Saskatoon after Orlando nightclub shooting

The co-chair said it has been a record year for the festival, but not all are supportive of the LGBTQ community.

“I think that Saskatoon still has a long way to go in truly understanding who the LGBTQ community is … I do know someone who was verbally and almost physically attacked last night – at the end of pride week. We still have a ways to go in our community,” Papadatos explained.

However, tragedy can bring people together, to stand up for a common cause and against hate.

“I think it’s important for everyone who does have a voice to be able to speak up now, stand together, and stand by your LGTBQ family and say we are one community. What happens to one, happens to us all,” said Papadatos.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think it's important for everyone who does have a voice to be able to speak up now, stand together, and stand by your LGTBQ family and say we are one community. What happens to one, happens to us all," said Papadatos.

For Krystal Nieckar, hateful actions can only bend, but never break the LGBTQ community.

“I think one person can make a loud noise, but we push past it, honestly. We don’t need anyone’s acceptance to be who we are. So we are proud and we’re going to show you,” said Nieckar, the festival co-chair.

“People are banning together and that’s what we do as a community. We support each other and we share in our experiences,” Nieckar explained.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "People are banning together and that's what we do as a community. We support each other and we share in our experiences," Nieckar explained.