It never fails to amaze me how resilient the human spirit can be after a tragedy. We can have so much and yet only realize the value of what we have once we’ve lost it. But in retrospect, it is often these tragedies which bring about shared sense of loss and renewed appreciation for each other.
I’ve been reflecting on these thoughts in just this past week with what is now recognized as the biggest mass shooting America has seen. It’s been a very disheartening time but there’s a spark of something starting to emerge from this gloom.
In fact, from my perspective, the Orlando shooting has done and will do more for this country than what can be accomplished by policy and government in a lifetime.
Only two hours following the media reports of the attack, my social media feeds were flooded with names of the victims, symbols of rainbows in honor of the LGBTQA community, and the ever-powerful phrase: #WeAreOrlando. Through one hateful act, entire communities across all generations came together to grieve over this loss which was felt by all.
Even people who I’ve known to be explicitly against same sex marriage legalization and other such LGBTQA rights suddenly came forth to light candles, attend vigils, and forget past misconceptions. It is moments like these when the realization that we are all humans, that we all love, cry, and grieve finally comes alive. Sure, sexuality and gender identity may remain touchy topics in the future, but for now, it is such a comfort to see this support and the newly inspired movements towards gun control and LGBT rights.
Take, for instance, the video which went viral only days after the shooting, when CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. If you haven’t seen it and are looking for real advocacy in action, I’d definitely recommend watching these five minutes of pure brilliance. While Cooper has always been an LGBTQA rights ally, it is so refreshing to watch him challenge Bondi on her previous put-downs towards the LGBT community. Her nervous response itself reveals the slow but steady disintegration of the hate her very values and work are built upon. And it was even more exciting to see the burst of support for Cooper’s "hypocrisy trap" because it reinforced our message: the times are changing and so are we.
Reminding our political representatives what it means to adhere to the values of their people is exactly what being an active community member and advocate is all about.
Why we take each other for granted, I don’t know. It seems like the biggest contradiction, to only gather the courage to communicate with and support others once a tragic event such as this occurs. It’s as if we wait for loss before we understand how much there is to gain.
Regardless, the wave of support following the Orlando shooting has shown me how much light a dark act can bring about. Perhaps these acts remind us of the fragility and instability of the world we live in today. And perhaps in the solidarity which loss brings, we find the courage not to set our differences aside, but to see past them to our greater similarities and our shared humanity.
