Howard Brown Health Statement and Resources Concerning Orlando Massacre
Our hearts go out to the families —including chosen families—of those affected by the massacre in Florida over the weekend.
Though police are calling it “a domestic terror incident,” terror and violence committed against LGBTQ people in the most sacred of queer spaces must also be understood as a hate crime. We cannot stay silent in the wake of such fear and danger. We must come together strong and unified; salient in our grief and steadfast in our commitment, we must rise up together against violence, intolerance and hate.
We mourn and stand in solidarity with our allies and those personally affected. We recognize that members of our community may experience heightened physical and emotional stress due to the Orlando attacks. As Chicago’s LGBTQ community health center, Howard Brown Health wants to ensure we provide space and resources for our community to gather, process, and grieve this horrible tragedy. Please continue to check back as we will update the website with resources as they become available.
Planned Vigils and Sources of Support (list in formation):
On Monday June 13, 2016 at 12pm all Howard Brown Health sites observed a moment of quiet reflection in solidarity with those hurt in the tragedy.
On Monday, June 13, Center on Halsted hosted a vigil at 7 p.m.
Claudia Mosier, a therapist who is trauma-trained and has participated in one post-shooting trauma treatment effort, is opening her office for anyone who wants to have a safe place to discuss how this event has impacted them. Monday noon-3 p.m., Tuesday 7-9 p.m. and Wednesday 5-9 p.m. There will be no charge. The office address is 8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1500, Chicago.
Monday June 13, Dr. Beth Rom-Rymer will be available from 4-5 pm. Also on Tuesday from 2-6 pm. Her office is also at 2835 N Sheffield and she has complimentary parking. Call (312) 961-1735 to schedule.
Tuesday June 14, Dr. Manisha Dayal – She has 2 offices so call (773) 297-2696 for locations and times.
Howard Brown and The Center on Halsted are offering drop in support sessions over the next couple of weeks for the community to access:
Tuesday, June 14 & June 21, 6pm-8pm at the Brown Elephant located at 3020 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
Thursday June 16 & 23, 5pm-7pm at The Center on Halsted located at 3656 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613
New Hope Recovery Center and the private practices of Jeff Zacharias will provide their spaces at 2835 N. Sheffield, Suite 304. Call 773-720-0068 or Jeffrey.zacharias@gmail.com ahead of time.
Crisis and trauma counselor Karen Rothstein Pineda also offered services for those in need. She is at 708-689-9814, karen@oakpark-counseling.com .
Centered Therapy Chicago is a practice led by Dr. Edward Fajardo, Dr. Kuan Lin, Dr. Nancy Luna, and Mr. Kurt Mohning a group of mental health therapists in the Lincoln Square area who would like to make themselves available to the LGBTQ community in the aftermath of the Orlando tragedy. Throughout the day and evening on Monday, June 13, as well as throughout the week. This is a free service to the community, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Collectively, they provide services in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Taiwanese. Please feel free to contact them at 312-623-0502, 773-340-9976, or 773-319-4325.