OnePulse Memorial Plan Faces Backlash With Allegations They’re Profiting Off Victims

There’s a memorial at the 9/11 site, at the Oklahoma City bombing site, and many others where people have been killed. So, why not have a memorial where 49 people were viciously gunned down in one of the most violent hate crimes against the LGTBQ community in history? That’s the main argument that the onePulse Foundation is having with some of the friends and family that are still grieving the loss of their loved one that died in the gay night club Pulse, in Orlando just three years ago.

The planning of the memorial, spearheaded by the onePulse Foundation, has been in the planning stages since the shooting spree took place. They’ve been raising money for it soon after the massacre, but some say the Foundation is exploiting the death of their loved ones and profiting off it as well. Those that oppose it launched the Community Coalition Against a Pulse Museum, and their mission is straightforward, build a memorial that is 100 percent public and constructed on public property.

The onePulse Foundation, who have several celebrities on the board as well as other notable memorial experts, plans to build their memorial on the site of the onePulse nightclub, which is owned by the Foundation’s CEO, Barbara Poma. According to NBC News, the onePulse Foundation “had revenue of $1.6 million and that Poma earned a salary of $109,000.”

The Community Coalition Against a Pulse Museum (CCAPM) doesn’t want Poma or anyone profiting off the death of their loved ones. They say all monies made, as it relates to the shooting, should be directed toward the victims’ families.

How do you feel about @onePULSEorg proposed memorial museum? Some worry the nonprofit’s approach is exploitive and inappropriate—some even think the site should be razed: https://t.co/VLEK7slzEY @NoPulseMuseum #OrlandoPulse #OnePulse #OrlandoStrong

— Nonprofit Quarterly (@npquarterly) August 14, 2019

“Put people first,” CCAPM states on their website. “We care more about our survivors than educating tourists. All fundraising efforts associated with Orlando’s mass shooting need to be directed towards providing lifetime care to survivors. All funds raised should be used to EXPAND existing services and ensure that all survivors get the financial support, medical services, community support programs, and mental health care they need for life.”

CCAPM has also said that Poma did not provide adequate security at the nightclub on the night of the shooting.

In response to the backlash for the memorial, the Foundation said, according to NBC News, “We respect the thoughts and opinions of everyone in the community who was affected by this tragic event and are taking them all into consideration on how we move forward.”