Personal commentary on the Orlando massacre

10 Percent TV, June 25, 2016

Imagine
Every time you went into a bar and had your girlfriend or boyfriend come in and kiss you on the cheek you had to look behind you to wonder if someone was going to hit you. Imagine every time you checked into a hotel with your boyfriend, or your girlfriend, or your wife or your husband the desk clerk said “Is that your sister? Is that your brother?” I ask my non-gay friends to imagine that reality. Those are the little things that happen everyday to members of the LGBT community.

For many years 
I like to think of myself as a professional business person, broadcaster, a writer who just happened to be gay. Events of the last two weeks, Orlando, have made me remember that…

“I am a member of the LGBT community. I am a gay man.”

Because whatever went through Omar Mateen’s mind when he stepped into Pulse in Orlando and pulled the trigger, and slaughtered 49 people, and injured 50 others. The fact is Pulse was a gay club. Most of the people there were gay. All of the stories that have come out over the last ten days, have led us to believe that Omar Mateen pulled the trigger specifically to kill and injure gay people. Imagine being one of those 49 people who’s lives were cut short. Imagine being one of the people who were shot. Imagine being the mother who threw herself across the body of her son to keep him from dying. Imagine the four couples that died together.

We do not yet live in a just world. 
There have been horrible shootings before Orlando and sadly, there will probably be horrible shootings after. I remember when I was a little boy in eighth grade, the Priest came to my school and told us the three worst possible sins. The things that were guaranteed to send you to hell.

1. Murder
2. Homosexuality
3. Bestiality

Being a precocious young man I raised my hand and I asked the priest “Why was homosexuality the second worst thing to do? Why was it worse than bestiality?” The priest answered, “Because homosexuality is the only thing that makes you behave worse than an animal.” Imagine hearing that as a young boy who knew then that he was gay. Imagine hearing that in eighth grade.

I’m an optimist
I believe one day that all of us will come together and work for a more just world. We are not there yet. We can still dream and think about that world. I hope that we will all live to see it. In the meantime, I’m David Perry.

Imagine.