Everybody Say Love

I knew I wanted to make a post about the recent Orlando shooting but I wasn’t exactly sure what to say.

Like everyone else, I was shocked to hear the news of the U.S’ biggest mass shooting in history. I was so shocked that I began to cry. It affected me deeply as it did many others.

Perhaps you could say I overreacted in crying but I definitely think it was the right reaction. Since gay marriage was made legal in all 50 states of America, it seems that the world has forgotten that there is still so much to fight for, especially for the LGBTQA community. This was reinforced by the fact that the very community targeted couldn’t help those injured as they are not allowed to donate blood. And that’s only the beginning of what’s wrong.

Moreover, as part of that community myself, being a pansexual, it is very easy to imagine it could happen anywhere to anyone. To me, to my friends, and to my family. This is devastating.

These people died because of who they loved and although people across the world have united against the attack, it could happen again. Why? Because there are still people who believe heterosexuality is the only right way to live. Not only that but America are still brandishing their gun policies as something to fight for when, actually, they should be abolished, if not partly then completely.

How many more schools, places of worship, workplaces, homes, clubs, etc., need to be targeted and enforce mass killings before people wake up and smell the damn coffee?

Right now, this isn’t just about guns, as important as this discussion is. It is about the rights of a population, one that is at serious risk. People are quick to dismiss these issues. Gays got marriage so what more could they ask for? Just like women got the right to vote and ethnic minorities are no longer in slave trade. But you really are missing the point. This shooting was a tragedy, no doubt, but also a reminder of what we should be fighting for. This isn’t the time to sit back and relax and assume that attending Pride is the best thing we can do. This is the time to reinforce what’s wrong with our laws and our views. If you don’t think so then sit back and seriously think about what’s wrong with you.

For those seriously impacted by this shooting and other hate crimes (for that is what it is), stay strong. This is a chance for our community to become stronger and gain more awareness. As the infamous RuPaul says: Everybody say love!