An outpouring of love washed across Twitter with trending hashtags such as #LoveIsLove, #TwoMenKissing and #GaysBreakTheInternet, and people have been holding vigils and rallies in solidarity with those who died.

A photograph unrelated to the shooting was taken by UK-based visual artist Eman A on Saturday, and after uploading it to his Instagram page, it has become a symbol of solidarity in its depiction of his three friends dressed in drag.

This is a photo of my beautiful friends that I took on Saturday night expressing themselves openly and freely and not a staged one of them ‘posing in solidarity’. I’m dizzy. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families of the victims.

His picture was picked up by writer Saleem Haddad, whose Facebook post has been shared and liked a combined 7,000 times so far. Haddad wrote a stirring caption about overcoming hatred, combined with Eman A’s photograph.