As you've heard by now, over the weekend, 50 LGBTQ+ people were shot to death in Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It is, to date, the worst mass shooting in American history. Make no mistake, this is terrorism by way of Homophobia. It is an attack on pride meant to weaken a community. But in the wake of it all, David Collict reminds us that pride matters above all else.
You may not identify as LGBTQ+, you may not know anyone personally connected to the tragedy, but overcoming Orlando is on all of our shoulders. We must come together and exist visibly in support of LGBTQ+ people. We must all empower pride.
Personally empowering gender identity and advocating equal rights will create a safe environment of self expression, love and growth. In age of social media, we're past the point of disconnection. Being aloof to Orlando only reinforces the ideals that made it happen. We live in a global society. You don't get to opt out from tragedy.
It's not enough to change your profile picture or to share a status with #OrlandoUnited. The support is appreciated. But, let's be honest, it doesn't do anything. Instead, we need to be vocal about why pride matters, why acceptance should be the norm, and why we need gun control.
How many lost lives have been attributed to trivial ideologies? We can't empower the attacks in Orlando by blaming them on something else or by creating flimsy narratives that suit our current political climate.
Pride is the only way we can empower ourselves and future generations to fight for a better future for LGBTQ+ people. We have to empower pride as an engine of change.
We owe it to the victims to remain confident. We need to shine a light on love, support, and vocal communities. In the aftermath of Orlando, we owe it to each other to make pride more visible than ever.