For the LGBTQ+ community, gun reform is personal
The wounds of Pulse and the congressional inaction that followed it remain wide open
Over three years have passed since the tragic Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando, Florida left 49 people dead and 53 others wounded, becoming the deadliest act of violence against the LGBTQ+ community in American history. As the nation grieves another horrific spat of killings in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, the wounds of Pulse and the congressional inaction that followed it remain wide open.
According to a recent study performed by the Williams Institute, over 10,300 hate crimes involving guns occur each year with nearly one-fifth of those crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity bias. But hate crimes, particularly those involving guns and especially mass shootings, affect the LGBTQ+ community whether they are expressly directed at us or not.
The victims at Pulse were primarily Latin American, and they were also primarily gay. There is no difference for those that are left behind. The El Paso shooter was targeting Mexicans. But this affects us. Our community is comprised of people from all walks of life, creeds, ethnic groups and national origins. We are your neighbors, your doctors, your store clerks, your students, your family members, and your…
