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We need anti-discrimination laws and hate crime protections. The next step is not to brush the identity of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people affected, but to confront the rampant anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that has become so commonplace in our political landscape.
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The same places that spouse hateful rhetoric and refuse to advocate for legal protections for LGBTQ+ people, refuse to acknowledge the loss in our community. Some media outlets and elected officials refuse to mention the fact that this was an attack on LGBTQ+ lives. The more than 100 victims were not attacked at random this was a space where LGBTQ+ folks could feel safe. The shooting occurred in Pulse Orlando club a gay club having a Latin night. In the light of this massacre, it is important to remember the lives lost in full. We send out our prayers and thoughts to the families and friends of the more than 100 people killed or injured. "Our hearts are heavy from the unconscionable tragedy of the Pulse Orlando mass shooting. In response to the shooting, FSU's Pride Student Union executive board, headed by Executive Director Candace Tavares, has issued the following statement: Additionally, gay clubs and bars have historically been the first safe spaces for LGBT people to convene and be "out" with other community members. The shooting is particularly heartbreaking for the LGBT community, as June is designated as Pride Month. Governor Rick Scott is currently in Orlando. The SWAT team rescued 30 patrons during their ambush, in addition to killing the shooter.Īn emergency situation has been declared in Orange County, and the shooting is being investigated as a terrorism event and hate crime. In total, the shooting lasted for 3 hours until police, with the cooperation of federal officials and the FBI, decided to enter the club with a SWAT team. During the negotiations with police, the shooter was said to have remained calm, and spoke of having explosives on him as well. After shooting about a third of the club's patrons, the shooter held about 4-5 people hostage in a bathroom, with another 15-20 hiding in another bathroom. It quickly turned into a hostage situation. Shortly after the shooter entered the club, Pulse Orlando posted on its Facebook page, "Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running."Īt 2:22 a.m., he called 911 to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, even mentioning the Boston bombings in his call. He was carrying a handgun and an AR-15-style assault rifle. The shooter first engaged an off-duty Orlando police officer who was working the club that night, and then ran into the club. He was "organized and well-prepared," according to Orlando Police Chief John Mina. The shooter, identified as 29-year old Omar Saddiqui Mateen of Fort Pierce, FL, entered the nightclub around 2 a.m. The shooting has been called the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. A mass shooting at Pulse, a prominent gay nightclub and bar in Orlando, has left 49 dead and 53 injured.