In the wake of the tragic shooting in Orlando, I feel there are some things that need to be said and remembered as we move forward as a country.
As a queer Latina, this act of violence has shaken me to the core. As we share similar identities, I am overwhelmed by the connection I feel for the victims. I am hurting for my LGBTQIA+ family. I am hurting for my Latinx family. If my circumstances were different, I could have been killed, but, I am alive and safe. In fact, I am much safer than any of the victims and survivors of Orlando as both my queerness and Latina identity are invisible. I have the privilege to hide my identities from the world, especially with my white passing privilege. I am not Orlando.
As I scroll through my Facebook feed, I keep seeing people post in support of Orlando, and while it is important to offer support and fight for LGBTQIA+ justice, it's also important to note that this terrible hate crime is not something all Americans can claim as an attack on America. We are not all Orlando.
Firstly, I would like to remind people that this shooter was born in the U.S. and was not a practicing Muslim. And even if he were, he does not represent all Muslims. Furthermore, stop pretending terrorism and Islam are the same. They are vastly different and I cannot believe we still need to have this discussion.
We are not all Orlando. We do not all experience oppression for being both a person of color and LGBTQIA+. We do not all have to worry about being harassed for expressing our identities in public. We are not all terrified of being shot and killed by a police officer or a violent shooter. Some people have it harder than others in this country. This country is built on the backs of the oppressed and marginalized for the benefit of the privileged.
As much as I feel for white LGBTQIA+ folks who are concerned about safety, queer and trans people of color have multiple aspects of their identity that are looked down upon in our society, thus having more reasons to fear for their safety. I feel for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are feeling unsafe, unloved, and hurt, but I feel even more for my fellow queer people of color and trans people of color.
If you are not an LGBTQIA+ person of color you cannot claim to fully understand the fear that all queer and trans people of color in this country feel at this time. This was not an attack on America. This was a targeted attack on some of the most oppressed groups of people in society.
Respect the families of the victims, the survivors, and all queer and/or trans people of color in this country as they grieve. Let those who need to remain silent be silent. Give space to those who need it. Let them be hurt, scared, and/or angry. We are not all Orlando, but we can let Orlando react in any way they need to and step back and let them speak for themselves. We are not Orlando but we can fight to create change in this world for them. We can use our voices to stand up to oppression when we see it. It's the least we can do.
