Candlelight vigil marks 6-year anniversary of LGBTQ activist hate attack

Six years ago, well-known LGBTQ activist George Zander and his husband were brutally attacked for being gay in downtown Palm Springs. George died one month later.

Zander continues to be remembered as a man who was a beacon of light for the community.

A candlelight vigil was held Monday night. The couple was beat up in 2015 after a night out at Hunters Nightclub. Palm Springs police said the couple was targeted for their sexuality.

Ron deHarte, president and CEO of Palm Springs Pride, said he marks the tragic anniversary remembering all people affected by hate crimes.

"Sometimes we think we're in a protected bubble here in Palm Springs," deHarte said. "This is an annual reminder to remember those victims that are lost...especially nowadays, members of a transgender community that are being killed in incredible numbers."

The vigil heard from Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton who looked back on Zander's legacy.

"We lost a friend," Middleton said. "We lost somebody who was such an integral part of Palm Springs. He was someone who consistently made our city a better place to be."

Paying respects, attendees marched through downtown to Tahquitz Canyon Way and Calle Encilia, the intersection where the accident took place. The group laid a wreathe and placed candles to mark the memory.

"This is one of the towns that it's easy for gay men to forget that we do live in a world where LGBTQIA rights are being persecuted," said Everette Solomon.

Two men pled guilty in the attack, and one was convicted of a hate crime.