Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was the scene of a national tragedy in the early AM hours of June 12.  News has spread far and wide about this worst mass shooting in US history.  50 or more lives were taken at a gay club, which is especially meaningful to many during Pride month.  You’ll see a sea of rememberances at the celebrations everywhere.

[Breaking News] Orlando Nightclub mass-shooting. from AskReddit

Their event happened to be a Latin night, and comments to the Facebook page for Pulse mention that the event was shared by more than gay people.  It touched other communities as well – including ours.

Let’s focus in on what it means to the small Furry subculture, and the impact of such events in general.

For those in Orlando Florida, my heart’s out for you from furry

Kokakoda Coyote – A Fur was killed in the Pulse shooting from furry

Kodakoda Coyote died in the shooting.  Here’s his FurAffinity account, listing his age of 20 (as of 2012?)  It gives no further info, except salutes from others.  (This update is rushed out prior to finding if there’s more info, but expect more attention for him.)  The tragedy has affected the community:

“A friend of mine wanted me to go with him to the pulse nightclub (I live about 20 minutes from the club) and I almost went, but two of our friends invited us to a Zootopia movie night at their place. Boy am I glad I decided to go with them and not to the club. Scary thought though. I did lose a friend last night. And i’ve been taking it kinda rough lately.” – (Deg The Wolf)

This happened literally at the height of one of the biggest regular Furry club nights anywhere (Frolic), also at a gay club of 300 people.  It hits pretty close to home.

Neonbunny, the organizer of Frolic says:

“This was not an attack on a gay bar in Orlando. This was an attack on my very identity, and my freedom to be who I am.”

Let me mention that a furry con-goer was also killed in the mass shooting in San Bernardino around December. Few people noticed, so this is an opportunity to say it.

Doesn’t one of the cons do a rememberance for community members who died in the year?

Sometimes people wonder why they should care.  For example, last year a fur was caught in a nightclub fire in Taiwan that had hundreds of casualties (he was also the only American there, and got a lot of attention in Taiwan for that – he was the focus of some national attention for both countries).  A GoFundMe went around and I spread it as much as I could.  Why pick him out when everyone needs help?  Why donate just because they’re a furry?  Is that a false appeal?

The answer is, of course it’s sort of unfair – it’s unfair that it happened to anyone, let alone 500 people  – but it’s not practical for one small community to help everyone at once.  Helping one is better than helping none, and what matters is how the receiver and their family feels when you help them.

It was a harrowing case, and he almost died, but within the past few weeks I got to talk to him for the first time.  He’s well on the way to recovery. So there’s a good story for today too.

Send thoughts for those close to Kodakoda.

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