The LGBTIQ Rights and Discussion Thread Social • Page 8

No, just you.

 

"I’ve never been to Pulse, the Orlando gay nightclub where Omar Mateen killed 50 people and wounded another 53. But I know that for some queer people there it was their utopia. Or, as Daniel Leon-Davis movingly recollects, a “safe haven,” the place “where I learned to love myself as a gay man,” and the place “where I learned to love my community.” Or as President Obama put it, “a place of solidarity and empowerment.” Last night, this place was violated.

We may never know how much homophobia drove Mateen to do what he did, or what other springs of madness and extremism he drank from. But we can definitely say this: Just as Dylann Roof preyed upon the specific openness and hospitality of the Mother Emanuel Church, Omar Mateen exploited the specific things that make gay bars magic. He took the dark, the loudness, the density, the chaos of the dance floor—and he made them his accomplices in what is the largest mass shooting in this nation’s history.

But he does not own these things, and his desecration cannot defeat us. This next week is going to suck hard—but we must remember that our joy is its own purpose; it is a higher calling."

Please Don’t Stop the Music

 

I hesitate to make this post because I don't for 1 second want this to be about me and if that is how this comes across I'll delete it no problem.

I make this post because I feel that any shred of positivity helps during these tragedies.

As soon as we heard about Orlando we all came together to get the word out about blood donations. Our donation center was at capacity and we at the hospital were working like mad to get the donations and then get them ready to go.

We made calls to all of our former patients with rare blood types and asked if they would donate and every single one showed up.

I don't know the total of the donations but I feel like it was a good turnout. We've sent as many supplies as we could spare to Orlando. We start again tomorrow at 7am and our whole team is ready to work our asses off for everyone in Orlando and for each and every person targeted by these monsters in every city.

Nothing I say can make things better. As hollow as it might sound, just know we're in your corner and we love you and we want you and your loved ones safe. ❤️

 

No this is fucking awesome, thank you for sharing.

 

You are lovely! This is awesome and heartwarming. Just the kind of beautiful affirmation we need on this awful day. If I could like this any more I 100% would!

 

Here Are The Victims Who Have Been Identified In The Orlando Nightclub Shooting

 

Don't turn homophobia into Islamophobia

 

UK Journalist Owen Jones did a good job trying to get through to a few other reporters who were trying downplay the homophobia involved in the attacks, but unfortunately they were far to dense. Winds up walking off the set while the other two people indignantly wondered why he could've possibly gotten so agitated...

 

On Sky News last night, I realised how far some will go to ignore homophobia | Owen Jones

 

http://trib.al/pki6mbb

"Orlando shooter was reportedly a regular at Pulse and had a profile on gay dating app"

Just saw this posted on Facebook.

 

A bouncer or dancer at the club was on Anderson Cooper and just said he saw the shooter once or twice a month for THREE YEARS. not sure how anyone would be able to remember something like that, but the original thread of, "he saw guys kissing a few days earlier and that's what caused this" seems also incredibly hard to follow to such a horrible reaction. and additionally, if he's lived in Orlando / Florida for all this time, the first time he saw a gay couple kiss was just a few days ago? lots of things not adding up.

 

Just now read this article as well. Seems like something changed a little while after high school.

Drag Queen: Anti-Gay Terrorist Omar Mateen Was My Friend

 

I'm beginning to believe the ideas floating that he was having issues with his sexuality and what that meant regarding his faith and such. or that maybe he was trying to get a better concept of what the LGBTQ community was about, instead of what he was maybe told growing up or what the religion shows / teaches. either way it can't just be, "saw guys kissing on Monday, lost my mind and bought guns and murdered every gay man i could on Sunday".

 

We need more of this in this world. You are a beautiful human-being. Thank you.

 

selfishly, perhaps the hardest part about the last few days is seeing public figures feign empathy for the queer community (fuck you, Milo, even as a gay man you don't give a shit) or ignore us altogether (a la Trump) and... i can't say anything because i can't come out right now. my community has become a statistical talking point for bigotry and the latest rationalization for islamophobia, and i can't say a damn thing.

 

Edit: sorry, wrong thread

 

"You have known violence. You have known violence. You are queer and you are brown and you have known violence. You have known a masculinity, a machismo, stupid with its own fragility. You learned basic queer safety, you have learned to scan, casually, quickly, before any public display of affection. Outside, the world can be murderous to you and your kind...
But inside, tonight, none of that matters. Inside, tonight, the only imperative is to love. Lap the bar, out for a smoke, back inside, the ammonia and sweat and the floor slightly tacky, another drink, the imperative is to get loose, get down, find religion, lose it, find your hips locked into another’s, break, dance on your own for a while — but you didn’t come here to be a nun — find your lips pressed against another’s, break, find your friends, dance. The only imperative is to be transformed, transfigured in the disco light. To lighten, loosen, see yourself reflected in the beauty of others. You didn’t come here to be a martyr, you came to live, papi. To live, mamacita. To live, hijos. To live, mariposas.

The media will spin the conversation away from homegrown homophobic terrorism to a general United States vs. Islamist narrative. Mendacious, audacious politicians — Republicans who vote against queer rights, against gun control — will seize on this massacre, twist it for support of their agendas.

But for a moment, I want to talk about the sacredness of Latin Night at the Queer Club. Amid all the noise, I want to close my eyes and see you all there, dancing, inviolable, free."

In praise of Latin Night at the Queer Club

 

As a queer Latina, this weekend was doubly hard because I have met huge amounts of resistance from the white queer community in regards to mentioning that most of those deceased were Latinx men and women of color. I don't understand how they can understand why it's unacceptable for straight people to ignore the LGBT part of the victims' identities but not why neglecting to acknowledge their race is such a painful thing for them to do. Regardless of whether or not it was WHY they were targeted - it is what happened and our community is hurting.

I'm not even angry yet. I am still too sad.

 

DN!

 

Bring back bash back

 

So cringe-worthy..ugh.

 

Good for Cooper to not fall into the "objectivity" role and actually call someone on their bullshit.