‘Silence is deadly’: Halifax LGBTQ community healing after Orlando shooting

Members of the Halifax LGBTQ community say the Orlando shooting was much more than just an attack at a nightclub.

“What he shot up was a way of being, a way of living, a way of loving, a way of acceptance and a way of bringing people closer together,” said Chris Cochrane, a trans activist and drag performer from Halifax.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What he shot up was a way of being, a way of living, a way of loving, a way of acceptance and a way of bringing people closer together," said Chris Cochrane, a trans activist and drag performer from Halifax.

As a trans woman of colour and drag performer, Cochrane has been part of the Halifax LGBTQ community for years.

On stage she’s known as Elle Noir, a drag queen who first broke onto the scene in 2005.

“RuPaul came here and one of my friends dared me to go out in drag and back then I was an angry little child so of course I did it,” Cochrane said.

The stage became her new home and helped connect her with her true identity.

“I was in drag more than I was out and I was more comfortable as Elle Noir, my drag persona, than I was as myself so I decided, ‘maybe there’s something more to this,'” Cochrane said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I was in drag more than I was out and I was more comfortable as Elle Noir, my drag persona, than I was as myself so I decided, 'maybe there's something more to this,'" Cochrane said.

She than began her journey towards transitioning into a woman.

As a trans woman of colour, she’s a minority within the community.

“I always feel like I’m the minority, like I’m in the middle of everything, and it took me a long time to realize being in the middle is perfectly okay, you know.”

The majority of victims killed in the Orlando mass shooting were also part of a minority group within the community — most were Latino, at Pulse for a themed ‘Latin night.’

READ MORE: ‘I miss you friend’: How the Orlando shooting victims are being remembered

The attack at the LGBTQ the club is one that the festival director of the OutEast Queer Film Fest, Andria Wilson says violates the sense of safety those spaces strive to create.

“LGBTQ people are in many cases used to experiencing violence or adversity out in public. In spaces that many straight folks would consider to be safe, like walking down the street. So we’ve had to create these spaces within our community that allow us to be ourselves, to be together,” Wilson said.

She says now is the time for straight allies to reach out with support for the community.

“Sometimes all that is, is just encouraging them to ask the question, ‘how are you feeling?’, ‘how are you processing this?’ Not just necessarily sharing a rainbow on Facebook. As nice as that is, we really need our straight allies step up and support the queer folks in their lives,” Wilson said.

READ MORE: Multiple angles being explored as investigators seek motive in Orlando shooting

As the pain of what happened in Orlando continues to set in, Cochrane says ‘being yourself’ is the best way to overcome fear and hatred towards the community.

“I just feel that people need to speak up, be themselves, live life to the fullest and don’t be quiet because silence is deadly,” Cochrane said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I just feel that people need to speak up, be themselves, live life to the fullest and don't be quiet because silence is deadly," Cochrane said.

A book of condolences for the victims of Orlando will be available to sign at Halifax City Hall beginning June 16 and running until June 24.