Rep Ruiz, local LGBTQ community leaders commemorate the designation of the Pulse National Pulse Memorial

President Joe Biden signed into law a measure designating the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida as a national memorial.

49 people dead and 53 people wounded were killed in a shooting at the nightclub on June 12, 2016. It was the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history.

Biden said in a statement last week that he has “stayed in touch with families of the victims and with the survivors who have turned their pain into purpose” and described the club as “hallowed ground.”

Biden signed the bill into law on Friday. Local Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz joined local LGBTQ community leaders to commemorate the signing of the bill.

"What happened that night at Pulse, a place that many saw as a safe haven, was an act of hate and terror," Ruiz said.

"Pulse Nightclub as a national memorial landmark will continue the promise to honor and to never forget all of those lives that we lost on June 12, 2016," said Miguel Navarro, community engagement manager for the LGBTQ Center of the Desert. "I hope that the memorial can continue to be a quiet and a peaceful sanctuary and love dedicated to honor the lives lost."

Biden also called on the senate to pass the "Equality Act." It would uphold legal protections for LGBTQ Americans and condemn efforts in numerous state legislatures he says are discriminatory in nature.