Facing the aftermath of what was the largest mass shooting in United States history, which occurred at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida on Latin Night, in which fifty people were killed, and another fifty were injured, people in the nation have had numerous reactions in response to this devastating attack of the LGBT community.
The LGBT community already feels fear of showing affection in public, and in the face of recent events, they know that even a kiss could be motivation for 50 dead. This increases the pressure for those who are are gay to hide their sexual identities. This is especially impactful on closeted LGBT youth, who may not be able to visibly mourn or feel a sense of community. They remain isolated and may even have to listen to their family members dismiss the victims’ identities or even go as far as to say that “more should have died.” This is a factor in why 30% or more LGBT youth commit suicide, approximately two or three times more likely than their counterparts.
By blaming ISIL, religion, or mental illness, or refocusing the debate solely on gun control, the media dismisses this shooting as a homophobic and racist hate crime. This allows people to condemn the death and murder of the victims without acknowledging their identities or forcing them to reexamine their own behavior and partial blame. This is especially true for politicians who receive large amounts of money from the NRA, have voted against gay rights, or publicly suggested putting LGBT people in concentration camps to now tweet their sadness over these deaths.
The shooting is especially relevant in the wake of the argument over the North Carolina HB2 Bathroom Bill, which requires transgender individuals to use the bathroom that aligns with their assigned gender at birth. The bill also repeals any pre-existing laws defending LGBT people of their rights and allows businesses and schools to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite a lot of backlash, several states primarily in the midwest such as Illinois, Kansas, and Tennessee among others have also been considering or attempting putting similar bills in place. This just emphasizes how politicians pretend to care about the death of LGBT people but will then continue to contribute to the violence.
Another debate that the shooting has brought to light is LGBT representation. The television trope of “Bury Your Gays”, in which LGBT characters are killed off for reasons motivated by homophobia, has recently been criticized with the murder of Lexa from The 100 and Poussey in Orange is the New Black. These two recent deaths have been dismissed with comments regarding the fictionality of the character. However, with LGBT characters being being constantly targeted fiction, what are younger, more impressionable LGBT members supposed to think when all the characters they can relate to are being killed? There needs to be happy endings and intersectional representation so LGBT youth can imagine a future that doesn’t end in death.
With almost 50 dead, there seems to be no progressive future in sight. The largest mass shooting in Unites States history targeted LGBT minorities, and there needs to be serious attention paid to that. The majority of the people ISIL has killed are Muslim, but white Americans are focused on pushing Islamophobic agendas. As Trump calls again for borders to be closed, he fails to realize that the shooter was born in New York and that his “terroristic” ideas were homebred and a result of homophobia.
Another important factor to be aware of is that being Muslim and LGBT is not mutually exclusive. To pretend so erases the many LGBT Muslims that face fear of attack for their sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as facing the blatant Islamophobia after so many accusations and assumptions are made towards all Muslims especially following this event.
In fact, multiple Muslim Advocacy groups as well the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and well known professors of Islamic study expressed solidarity with and support of the LGBT community. Along with many Muslims in Orlando who donated blood to help the victims, despite fasting during Ramadan. Donating blood, which was initially the most valuable way to help the victims was incredibly important, especially considering gay and bisexual men and transgender women were not even allowed to donate blood to help those in their own community. This homophobic and transphobic FDA restriction was enacted during the AIDS crisis in 1980s America and has yet to really be lifted.
Also, for the most part ignored, is how racialized this attack was, with the majority of those killed being Black or Latino. LGBT people of color are the most targeted for murder, assault, and victims of hate crimes. They also face racism and microaggressions from much of the white LGBT community, as well as major under-representation in media.
Within 24 hours of the Orlando Pulse shooting, a white man who was targeting the L.A. Pride Parade was arrested with explosives in his car. Though this event received limited news coverage, this further shows the blatant racism in our society. The Pulse shooting was not an isolated incident; it was a result of all homophobia and racism in America.
As people in New York City go to the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar where in 1969 a violent police raid resulted in the modern gay pride movement, they collectively gather to mourn the victims and feel the fear. Especially considering this happened during pride month, a time where lgbt people celebrate their right to live without being persecuted; being lined up for slaughter and having almost 50 die, sends a resounding message to the entire LGBT community. It is not okay to be gay.