My heart is heavy today with news of the shooting in Orlando. Thoughts and prayers seem inadequate. Here are ways we can help the victims and their families and express our support.
- Equality Florida has set up a GoFundMe page for the Pulse Victims Fund. They are encouraging people to donate and to share the page using the hashtag #WeAreOrlando.
- The website WeAreOrlando has a list of vigils around the country, along with information on where to check in about missing family members, places to get counseling, and more.
- And Everytown offers a condolence card to sign, along with a pledge “to fight for an America free from gun violence.” They also suggest “7 Actions You Can Take to Help Prevent Gun Violence.”
Equality Florida also offers this perspective:
Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety. June commemorates our community standing up to anti-LGBTQ violence at the Stonewall Inn, the nightclub that has become the first LGBTQ site recognized as a national monument.
Given that the shooter was Muslim, Lambda Legal reminds us:
This is Pride month, and this year it is also Ramadan — the holiest time in the Muslim year. Lambda Legal has already received expressions of condolence and solidarity from Muslim leaders. LGBT people are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, every other faith as well as none. No true religion calls for harm to others, and Islam is no exception. Religion is no excuse for violence, and it is no excuse for bigotry and discrimination.
We will mourn—but we will go on. May we turn our outrage and our sorrow into an effort towards peace and understanding, across all sexual orientations, religions, and other aspects of our identities.