More than 24 hours after a man broke into an LGBT nightclub in downtown Orlando with an AR-15-like semiautomatic rifle, a handgun and overloads of ammunition, the identities of some of the 49 victims who died are beginning to come afloat.
What’s known so far of the Pulse nightclub deadly mass shooting is that most of the victims were gay, Latino men in their 20s and 30s. There were at least five women, also mostly Latinas. Some of the names that have emerged so far: Eric Ivan Ortiz Rivera, 36; Peter O. Gonzales-Cruz, 22; Kimberly Morris, 37; Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30; Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25—all at Pulse for a Saturday night of tireless dancing with friends and other close members of the LGBT community. For many, Pulse wasn’t just a nightclub, it was a safe haven for those facing family rejection over their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Fifty-three others are in the hospital for gunshot wounds.
While most international and national media automatically labeled the massacre an act of extreme Islamic terrorism, (as well as Republicans who need a scapegoat for violently fueling anti-LGBT laws and environments) even President Barack Obama said that the country’s homophobia and transphobia played a huge, if not a stellar, role, alongside the country’s dangerous lack of gun control laws, in the killings. Tucson-based Southern Arizona Gender Alliance also blamed anti-LGBT sentiments. (As this Fuse article bravely discusses, it is simply not safe to be an LGBT person of color in the United States.)
“As we mourn, we stand with a community shaken, and we process countless emotions—sorrow, rage, fear, all of them valid, all of them too common in the lives of the LGBT community. We have witnessed an act of hate whose savagery goes beyond understanding,” says a SAGA media statement. “Sadly, this is but an extreme version of the anti-LGBT animosity that is not only common, but entirely too accepted by our society, from state houses to the streets. This is the reality for queer identities, a reality that lads us to mourn today, but will also lead us to stand united, and forever fight to eradicate hate in all its forms.”
Last night, hundreds of Tucsonans participated in a candlelight vigil on Fourth Avenue to honor the victims and to protest gun violence, as well as hate crimes against LGBT people.
Here’s a video released by the LA-based Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, for your consideration:
This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2016.
This was a terrible act of war, if it is radical islam, as it has been reported that it was. You will never outlaw hate, nor crimes against people. But since 9/11 our country has suffered from radicalized youth born in America, that hate Americans.Radical islam hates Christians as much or more than the LBGT community.
Our country has a common enemy. What do we do? The same as we have done the last 5 years? I hope not.
What a pathetic shot at Republicans. You should be embarassed spewing that hate.
You are both so fucking stupid.
Peabo can you tell us what makes you smarter than other posters?
Yes.
they disabled the comments and hid the dislikes for the video hmmmm……..
honestly, i would agree that it’s regressive and disappointing that this country is still very homophobic, and gay rights are the only thing in modern politics that i will not accept two fair sides of an argument on, because there are no good arguments against equal rights. but i wholeheartedly disagree with the point the video makes. it blames the attack on our culture and society and completely pushes away the notion of terrorism and says “it’s not one specific group to blame” when that’s exactly what it is. not even the most radical far right anti-gay rights groups in this country called on gays to be killed. and ironically, the video defends muslims while condemning our culture as if we enable violence towards gays more. the fact is: most muslim majority countries criminalize homosexuality and many carry the death penalty for it. it is not logical to act as if our own culture is what enables this type of violence more while defending a culture that explicitly does.
please understand me, i am a tolerant person. i am not a conservative, i am not an islamaphobic trump supporter, and i believe everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt rather than judging them for their religious beliefs. but i think this video is just flat out unrealistic.
The thing is, we don’t know if this waste of oxygen ever read the Koran, much less observed it. Maybe he was just another well-armed psycho whose life wasn’t playing out as expected with a helping of daddy issues on the side. Any dope can claim the deity of their choice trying to grease their path to heaven.
I’m not a member of the LGBT community so I can’t speak for them, but I do think it’s fair to say that radical Islam hasn’t cornered the market on lethal homophobia.
Those wishing to do harm to others have no shortages of causes to give excuses for their violence. Without adding to the fear-mongering and gay-baiting we must ask ourselves as a nation when enough is enough for all to join together and fight the fear instead of each other.
Islam wasn’t a problem a 20 years ago, it is an Irrational religion, like christianity and Judiasm but some religions are more irrational than othets. Is there a cure for bigotry?
Sorry, i have a hard time tolorating idiots and i surely wouldn’t let them into this country.
Did jesus walk on water and rise from the dead? No, it’s a metaphor for faith and truth. “Saint” Paul is irrational and antichrist, anti-Logos-logic.
“it is simply not safe to be an LGBT person of color in the United States” Dude. It turns out that the shooter was an LGBT person of color. And a Muslim. And a registered Democrat. But, you found it appropriate to take a swipe at Republicans. Never let a good crisis go to waste…
Why can’t people just respectfully mourn the victims without general demonetization to advance their own political agenda? It’s disingenuous, self-serving, not constructive, and pathetic…
My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those lost in this tragedy.
What has the media told us some 72 hours after this senseless act?
His ex wife says he is gay
His father calls for death for homosexuals and thinks he is President of Afghanistan.
That is the Sharia Law punishment in Saudi Arabia which he visited twice in the last 5 years.
He attended the same mosque as the American suicide bomber in Syria.
He pledged allegiance to ISIS.
The FBI interviewed him three times as a person of interest.
NBC just reported that his wife knew of his plan and tried to talk him out of it. She may be arrested this morning as an accomplice.
The Clinton Foundation has received more than $10M in contributions from Saudi Arabia.
American-born children of immigrant parents have been perpetrating jihad in U.S.
Well, Rat, since the media has your nethers all a-quiver, how about adding these nuggets to your list? In the interest of fair-and-balanced and all that.
Baptist pastor praises Orlando attack.
Texas Lt. Governor tweets “reap what you sow” after Orlando attack.
Openly gay Imam condemns Orlando attack.
NRA blames “Political Correctness” for Orlando shooting.
Even Republicans agree: Trump failed his first leadership test.
Donald Trump accused of deleting emails in 2004 casino lawsuit.
Trump states Orlando shooter born in “Afghan.”
Hey leave my nethers out of this.
Hey Maria—you left out “Q” and “I” in your LBGT, You must be phobic!
Well, now we’ve heard from a six-year-old.