BURLINGTON, Vt. — Burlington's vigil Monday evening to honor Orlando's dead and wounded reached a crescendo at about 7 p.m. ET, when Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged a crowd of hundreds to create "a nation based on love."
At City Hall Park, Sanders joined other speakers at the podium to condemn homophobia.
In counseling tolerance for moderate Muslims, Sanders also took a dig at Republican candidate Donald Trump, who has more broadly condemned people of that faith.
"We know that one hateful person committed this terrible crime — not an entire people or an entire religion," Sanders said. "To blame an entire religion for the acts of a single individual is bigotry, pure and simple. It is not what this country is about, and not what this city is about."
The crowd roared its approval.
"Our job is not to allow politicians, Mr. Trump or anyone else, to divide us up by where our family came from, the color of our skin, our religion or our sexual orientation," Sanders added.
The crowd roared again.
Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo noted that, in the early days of the gay-rights movement in New York City, law enforcement officers played a repressive role — a role that has changed considerably.
"Until recently we thought maybe the work is winding down, but it's not," the chief said.
Former state Rep. Jason Lorber, who served as master of ceremonies, told the crowd that declaring one's sexual orientation is the single most powerful tool with which a person can build an LGBT-tolerant society.
"When we do that, we change the world, we change each other, and we change ourselves," he said.
Heterosexuals must mobilize, too, Lorber added: "We need you to stand up for us."
Follow Joel Banner Baird on Twitter: @VtGoingUp
