I am so heartbroken about this disgusting situation. As most people know, on Sunday June 12 2016, Pulse nightclub in Orlando suffered the worst mass shooting the U.S. has seen. When I first heard the news about the shooting I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t sure if I should be angry or if I should cry. I didn’t understand how one person can do something so terrible and disgusting as this. Although I didn’t personally know any of the victims or survivors, I was still very upset. The LGBTQI+ community has a special place in my heart. Many of my friends are part of this community and I could not imagine something like this happening to them.
One of my best friends and I had a discussion about this the other day in my car. He is gay and was telling me when he woke up the morning after the shooting he cried for 2 hours. He was crying because he realized that so many innocent people lost their lives at the hand of one idiotic person and he was upset that this one person got to decide how and when their lives would end. He also told me he was very upset because the LGBTQI+ community had come so far in the past few years and when something like this happens they are set back. I can only imagine what else was going through his head. I’m sure he was thinking the same things as me. I’m sure he was angry and sad and just confused. It is so sad that him and so many other LGBTQI+ members are now scared to live their lives outside of their homes. They should not have to be scared to do anything, but because of this awful hate crime their community faced, they are scared to live their lives.
In the week following the shooting, pride parades were being help in many states. Many people attended these parades and many of them were terrified to do so. Not only did we have a mass shooting of their community members on that Sunday, but there was also bomb threats at the pride parades. This community has faced so much hate and I can only imagine what they were thinking when attending the parades. I know they were all in fear that another hate crime was going to be done against their community. I am very happy to say that no deaths happened due to bomb threats at these parades but I am still saddened by the shooting.
I would like to commend the LGBTQI+ community. If I were in their situation, I would not want to leave my house, but so many of them braved the threats and went out and fought for what they believe. They were so unbelievably brave and that is amazing. I hope that soon there will be no more hate crimes done towards this community or towards any other communities. I love all my friends who are part of this community and I could not imagine losing them.
I am heartbroken and still wondering why someone would do this to so many innocent people. My heart and prayers go out to all the families who lost loved one in this shooting and to the people who were affected by this sad event. Go home and hug your loved ones tonight and tell them you love them. I guess it is true that you never know when the last time you might see them will be.
