Pulse (Night Club)

 Pulse (Night Club)

Pulse was an Orlando, Florida gay bar, dance club, and nightclub created in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. The club was the site of the second bloodiest mass shooting by a single shooter in US history, as well as the second worst terrorist incident on US territory since September 11, 2001. 49 individuals were murdered, while 53 others were wounded.

Pulse has themed performances every night and a monthly schedule with educational sessions for the LGBT community. Pulse was featured in Orlando Weekly "three dazzling, pulsing rooms of club guys, twins, and heart twins Every night is different, but Pulse is renowned for having some really outstanding drag acts, and the bar's dancers are generally stunning." Because of the three sections, Lonely Planet Discover Florida called it "three nightclubs," and their Florida volume called it "ultramodern."

Top 10 It was dubbed a "strong favorite for the Orlando LGBT population" by Orlando, and The Rough Guide to Florida termed it "justifiably popular," citing its "excellent lighting and sound, including cabaret artists, drag shows, and sensual dancers." Pulse was the only gay bar in the area.

The only LGBT club featured in The Rough Guide to the USA for Orlando was Pulse. According to the ads, the entire premises was accessible, including the restrooms. Zagat scored Pulse 25/30 for atmosphere, 25/30 for décor, and 22/30 for service based on "monthly consumer surveys."

Prior to the establishment of Pulse, the location at 1912 South Orange Avenue housed Lorenzo's, a pizza restaurant. By 1999, it was known as Dante's, a live music bar. Dante's closed its doors in January 2003.

Pulse was founded on July 2, 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. According to a marketing staff member in February 2016, Poma's brother, John, died in 1991 from AIDS, and the club is "named for John's pulse to live on." The venue emphasized local artists. Poma made certain that her brother's legacy was prominently displayed on the website, and that the facility was more than "just another homosexual club." When Pulse was created, Legler was president of the Florida Theatrical Association. He also founded two nightclubs in Lake Eola Park in 2010, before moving to Baltimore in 2014. The Washington Post defined the club's first 12 years as "a community hub for HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness, and immigrant rights," and claimed that it had served as a "community hub for HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness, and immigrant rights." The Washington Post described the club's first 12 years as "a neighborhood hub for HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness, and immigrant rights," noting that it has collaborated with educational and advocacy organizations such as Come Out with Pride, Equality Florida, and the Zebra Coalition.

In a mass shooting on June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 58 more. Until the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, it was the worst single-gunman mass shooting in US history, the deadliest incidence of violence against LGBT people in US history, and the second deadliest terrorist assault on US soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The city of Orlando decided to acquire the nightclub for $2.25 million in November 2016. Mayor Buddy Dyer stated that he intends to turn the nightclub into a memorial to commemorate the victims' memories.

In December 2016, the owner, Barbara Poma, refused to sell the nightclub to the city. Instead, in May 2017, she announced the development of the single PULSE.