LGBT News Mass Shooting at Orlando Gay Nightclub

Can't imagine what the loved ones of those lost are going through. If someone wants to disagree with ones lifestyle whatever but as long as they're not harming innocent people let them live. Shame that someone could have that much hate in their heart for a community that's just asking for fair treatment.

RIP lives lost in Pulse that just wanted to have fun

 

There is a clear difference between making random generalizations and interpreting fact.

From what we know about the case: the guy's father holds extremely homophobic beliefs derived from his religion (which reading interviews with the man more than likely have trickled down to his son), the gunman has also been radicalised by Islamic extremist sources online. So to pretend that Islam has played absolutely zero role in this is silly.

Nobody is saying all Muslims are terrorists, but people are overreacting at the mere insinuation that Islam is on the whole homophobic, calling it "untrue" and a "generalisation" which is absurd. Studies show LGBT tolerance amongst the Muslim community is at rock bottom (way more so than within Christianity where studies demonstrate a small majority now support gay people) and also the attitudes towards "addressing" homosexuality are on the whole more extreme (as well as attitudes to women, other races and apostates). These are the facts, and this is problematic. Or do you think you could go into 99% mosques and receive warm welcome as a gay person or as someone from any of the aforementioned groups.

This is not just a "minority" or "freak" thing, this is widespread. And nor should we desperately try to separate extremist homophobia, and the homophobia widespread in religion. They are two sides to the same coin.

Now is the perfect time to address this square on, and those in our community putting up barriers with naive "This is about homophobia, not religion" or "No to Homophobia, No to Islamophobia" posts are holding us back and wasting one of the few opportunities we have to progress in this area and have this issue talked about and tackled.

 

Well said. I find the whole pseudo-alliance between a lot of progressives and regressive religion pretty bizarre tbh.

And you can dislike a radical ideology without having any hate for the people who have one way or another ended up under its banner. Confusing criticism of religion with bigotry is not helpful.

 

Exactly.

I was raised through a conservative Catholic education, and during that period I have been heavily critical of certain practices and beliefs within the Catholic church.

Does that mean I hate Catholic or Christian people? No.

Does that mean I'm "Catholicophobic"? No.

Do I have a right to call out Catholic homophobia as and when it is demonstrated? Absolutely.

So why do we not have the same freedom with Islam? We (rightly) criticise the likes of evangelist preachers, The Westboro Baptist Church and the Vatican without any raised eyebrows or talks of "othering", racism, ignorance, "generalisation", phobias or hidden agendas. But the moment our attention is turned on Islam we have progressives and gay people turning themselves into human barriers for reasons I really do not understand.

 

Tonight here at the first Baptist Church of Orlando they have held a service in memory of those lost. Let me tell you I cried more than ever. The service began with a tribute to Christina Grimmie. They showed 2 of her YouTube covers and talked about how happy her music made a lot of people. The service was continued with scripture and a few words from the Orlando Mayer and also the church pastor.

Each of the victims had their name read and with each name that was read a bell went off in their memory. After the readings of the names a Spanish pastor gave a few words in Spanish and then a Christian LGBT rights activist came to the alter took the mic and said a prayer for everyone lost. The service is going on live online. Unfortunately it was pouring rain with massive thunder and they said they were full at capacity so I couldn't make it in person I'm watching online though.

Also they asked all LGBTQ people who were in the church to come up to the alter so they could issue a special prayer of love for them so they could feel accepted and loved.

 

Absolutely devastated when I heard about this. There's been a lot of tears, and it's just been so much at once (especially seeing all the discussions and arguments online and everything)...

I just want to pay my respects to the victims, their loved ones. My thoughts are with them, and with the whole community right now, also very much with the people of colour in the community. I'm at a loss for words, but all the love and support to everyone affected.

 

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap For the past couple of days, I've been reading a lot of things about islamophobia, gun control, terrorism, homophobia, etc. People have been quick to defend gun rights or talk about the importance of gun control. Crazy conservatives have been quick to judge all Muslims as terrorists. And the web is full of posts saying that all Muslims are not terrorists.

But in all this chaos, I have yet to see people point out the connection between religion and homophobia. The shooter was clearly homophobic and he harbored a lot of self hatred. And those homophobic ideas did not come out of nowhere. They came from his religion. And the fact is that more than half of all Muslims in the US believe that homosexuality is wrong. This is not ok.

I hope that if something good comes out of this tragedy is that hopefully the Muslim community will begin a dialogue about how Islam views LGBT people and how they can make the community more inclusive towards LGBT members so that a tragedy doesn't happen like this in the future. I've met too many Muslim LGBT people that have been rejected by their families for being who they are. We already judge and condemn Evangelical Christians for homophobic beliefs. We judge the Catholic Church and the Pope when they say homophobic things. Islam is no different.

 

This is very very tragic, not just for us LGBT+ people but also for humanity. And it sickens me reading tweets or comments about how this happening is "right" and other homophobic shits despite people weeping for their dead friend, lover, sibling, son, etc. I thought the change is coming. I think its still far. :tears:

 

Lazuri, this guy is really awesome. He was always a very kind person when I went to school with him. He and his friends ran out the patio when they heard the shots. He was hiding under a car and saw a guy stumbling. Used his shirts as tourniquets on the guys arms, then hugged him really tight and kept him conscious on the way to the hospital so he didn't bleed out from a gunshot wound to the back. He saved this guys life. You can probably look up the story by those details. He's had lots of news coverage. I don't think I'm allowed to mention his name here. But if you need something uplifting out of this whole story, it's a good read.

 

this is too insane to take into heart really. too many deaths and I cant make sense of why someone would do this...

 

I can't even imagine what this guy describes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-cqjDL1esU

 

I've been really touched at the number of people who have offered me condolences in the last few days--family, friends, even clients. I didn't actually know anyone involved and no one has assumed I did but everyone has sort of instinctually recognized that it would be hard for me. People have been really wonderful.

 

Greenranger. Hate is deeply ingrained in America. A large part of the problem in America is, "Christianity" has been hijacked and twisted to facilitate hate.

Also hate is kept alive in America by "judge" and "condemn" It's become a habit to "hate" in America.

 

I have a friend who knew the two men who were going to be married. At Pride the weekend after the shooting, him and I and 47 others from an LGBT group we go to, walked in a memorial parade holding placards with the names and the ages of the victims. It was very emotional. The entire crowded street was silent except for sporadic clapping and some crying. Heartbreaking.

 

I wonder how many people were there who were closeted and their parents/family didn't know they were gay until they found out they died.