More than 200 UFT members gathered at union headquarters on June 16 for an event that was initially intended to kick off Pride Month but became a show of solidarity after the mass shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12.

Shoshana Berkovic, a teacher at New Utrecht HS in Brooklyn, attended the kickoff and said she planned to participate in the Pride march on June 26.

“I would have been afraid to march five years ago,” Berkovic said. “Now I don’t have to hide a part of who I am. Thank you, UFT, for caring about us.”

Tracy Tran, a teacher at Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice in Brooklyn, said it was important for her to be at the union’s event, especially after the Orlando incident. The gathering was both a celebration of Pride Month and a demonstration of support for the LGBTQ community.

“I feel I had to be here in solidarity,” she said.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew remarked on recent civil rights milestones, particularly for the LGBTQ community.

“It’s 2016 and we still have a long way to go,” he said. “But we never thought we’d have marriage equality. We never thought we’d have an African American president. And we’re hoping for the first female president.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten, who led the UFT for 11 years, recalled her own coming out and praised the evolution of the UFT on LGBTQ rights.

“What an amazing journey for the union,” Weingarten said. “I thank you personally and professionally.”

Anthony Harmon, the UFT director of parent and community outreach, said the original venue for the kickoff, which featured remarks by several elected officials and faith-based leaders, had to be changed to accommodate all the union members who wanted to participate.

“We need to show support for the Orlando victims and families and to let members know that an injury to one is an injury to all,” Harmon said.

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