Rally with the Gayborhood at this giant fundraiser for the Orlando victims in July

The Gayborhood is showing that tragedy begets unification.

On Thursday, July 21, nine bars and restaurants in the area from 11th to Broad streets and Chestnut to Pine streets are coming together to money for the victims of the Pulse night club shooting and their families.

The event will mark “perhaps the first time ever” that the Gayborhood’s bar owners are hosting one “massive” coordinated fundraiser, according to a press release.

Local politicians will serve as guest bartenders beginning at 7 p.m., and later on, each participating establishment will host its own event while asking for donations at the door to be donated to the fund, said Jeffrey Sotland, an owner of Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar and one of the event’s organizers.

Guest bartenders haven’t been confirmed yet, but the organizers are reaching out to Mayor Jim Kenney, Council President Darrell Clarke, Councilman Mark Squilla, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Director of LGBT Affairs Nellie Fitzpatrick and others, Sotland said.

Here are the bars participating and the events they’ll be hosting:

• iCandy — Latin dance party
• Woody’s — Latin dance party
• Voyeur — Drag show
• Franky Bradley’s — Drag show
• Tavern on Camac — Showtunes
• Knock — Karaoke
• Boxers — Texas Hold ‘Em
• Stir — TBD
• Tabu — Burlesque

The organizers are still determining exactly where the money will go and is currently vetting organizations, including the Orlando LGBT Center.

Sotland is quick to point out that this is a joint effort from the Gayborhood as a whole.

“While I might be the person answering emails and making comments, there is no single individual who is acting alone,” he wrote us. “As a group, we are 100% committed to cooperating and making this a night about Orlando.”