Last week, I sat down in my comfortable quiet suburban house and wrote an article about Pride Month. It was a little shallow, I’ll be the first to admit. It wasn’t outwardly bad, but it was severely lacking in any true content. My message was there, urging people to open their hearts to love and celebrate, but there was a lot missing. Within just a few hours of writing that article, a gunman in Orlando took it upon himself to steal away the lives of fifty beautiful souls gathered at a nightclub to celebrate love and Latin culture. That’s some cruel, sick irony right there.
At 2am on Sunday June 12th, the idea of Pride Month conveyed feelings of celebration, of hope, and of love to me. After all, a year ago we were dancing in the streets over the Supreme Court decision that changed lives. By 7am that same Sunday, a dark cloud hid the rainbow from view. Could we have been so naïve to think that it was over? That celebrating love, no matter what form it may take, and the first anniversary of a joyous occasion would go off without so much as hiccup? It’s easy to look at the tragedy in Orlando and feel discouraged, to feel scared and targeted, to feel like everything is one step forward then two steps back. It seems like after tragedies such as this, the nation rallies together united fear. There are ten thousand new things to be done, yet everyone feels frozen in shocked silence. Then, without warning, a few brave people stand up and take action. Often they ask for nothing in return, but they put on a brave face and turn to face the sun, reaching out to those who can’t go it alone. Not all of us can be the brave few to rise from the ashes, but each of us can do something. Tragedies like this always make us consider how truly precious life is. There’s something about feeling that ache for others pain that makes you call your friends and family and tell them you love them. After that, action becomes the name of the game. So many stepped up these past few days, donating time, effort, compassion, blood, and services to repair the broken city, lending a hand in any way they knew how. Every news story this week has been a touching tale of a community trying to recover, and leaning on one another for support.
A thousand miles away, it’s easy to feel useless, to feel like you want to help but not knowing where to start. So, while I encourage you to take action and take a stand in the wake of this tragedy, above all I encourage you to love. The murder of these people was an act of violence and hate, and hate can only be driven out by love. Only in overflowing with compassion, opening your mind, and filling your heart with love can our country stand behind Orlando and come back stronger and safer. The gunman took the lives of fifty people, and the spirits of thousands more, serving as a painful reminder of the hatefulness that persists in the world, but we show our Pride by spreading love and standing tall, leaning on each other. Bravery and Pride go hand in hand, and together they make us #OrlandoStrong.
