Full name Pulse Orlando Closed June 12, 2016 | Location Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |
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Address 1912 South Orange Avenue Owner Barbara Poma
Ron Legler Opened July 2, 2004; 12 years ago (2004-07-02) | ||
Pulse was a gay bar, dance club, and nightclub in Orlando, Florida, founded in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. On June 12, 2016, the club gained international attention as it was the scene of the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history, and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the events of September 11, 2001. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 were injured. There are plans to convert the premises into a memorial dedicated to the victims.
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Description
Pulse hosted themed performances each night and had a monthly program featuring educational events geared towards the LGBT community. According to Orlando Weekly, Pulse featured "three glitzy, throbbing rooms of club boys, twinks and twinks at heart. Every night has something different in store, but Pulse is known to have some pretty impressive drag shows, and the bar's dancers are usually gorgeous." Because of the three areas, Lonely Planet Discover Florida deemed it "three nightclubs", while their Florida volume focused on it being "ultramodern".
Top 10 Orlando called it a "firm favorite for the Orlando gay crowd", The Rough Guide to Florida deemed it "justifiably popular", citing its "great lighting and sound plus cabaret performers, drag acts, and erotic dancers." Pulse was the only gay club mentioned in The Rough Guide to the USA for Orlando. According to listings, the entire premises, including the washrooms, are accessible. Using "periodic consumer surveys", Zagat rated Pulse 25/30 for atmosphere, 25/30 decor, and 22/30 service.
History
In 1985–prior to Pulse's founding–the property located at 1912 South Orange Avenue was home to a pizza restaurant named Lorenzo's. By 1999, it was called Dante's, a bar with live music. Dante's closed in January 2003.
Founded by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler, Pulse opened on July 2, 2004 Poma's brother, John, died in 1991 from AIDS, and the club is "named for John's pulse to live on", according to a marketing staff member in February 2016. The venue has a focus on local talent. Poma ensured that her brother's memory was prominent on the website, that the facility was more than "just another gay club". Legler was President of the Florida Theatrical Association at the time of foundation, and founded two nightclubs in Lake Eola Park in 2010, leaving for Baltimore in 2011. The Washington Post described its first 12 years as "a community hub for HIV prevention, breast-cancer awareness and immigrant rights", and reported it had partnered with educational and advocacy groups such as Come Out with Pride, Equality Florida, and the Zebra Coalition.
June 2016 shooting
On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting. The attack is the deadliest single gunman mass shooting in United States history, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history, and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks of 2001.
In November 2016, the city of Orlando agreed to buy the nightclub for $2.25 million. Mayor Buddy Dyer expressed plans to convert the nightclub into a memorial to honor the memory of the victims.