Elton John has found strength following the Orlando nightclub massacre from “a rainbow coloured wave of love”.
The gay icon has released a statement about the horror of the Pulse club attack, which cost 49 people their lives, calling it a “tsunami”, but he’s encouraged by the outpouring of love and support for the gay community following the hate crime.
His statement, issued to the media by a spokesperson on Wednesday, echoes what Elton said to fans during a concert in Liverpool, England on Tuesday night.
World landmarks light up in rainbow colors for Orlando https://t.co/F6qmhdcufd
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) June 14, 2016
It reads: “When a horror like this massacre in Orlando comes along, great agony crashes across the world like a tsunami. And great grief. We feel shocked, angry and feel devastated inside for the victims and the loved ones who are mourning them.
“What I find extraordinary and what really gives me strength and hope is that immediately behind that devastation came a different wave. A rainbow coloured wave of love, from Istanbul to Tel Aviv, from Sydney Opera House to the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building and the White House.”
The Rocket Man took a moment during his Liverpool gig to honour those killed in the massacre, stating, “While I would like to honour and mourn the LGBT community’s loss in Orlando and the loss of everyone who has been a victim of hate and stigma and dogma, I would like to say tonight we are winning the fight against prejudice. The rainbow around the world tells me we can and we will win against these people.”
AAP