STATEMENT BY GMHC CEO KELSEY LOUIE: My heart breaks for the victims of the Orlando attack and the entire LGBT community. On Sunday, we all saw firsthand that both domestic and foreign forces still want to attack the freedoms we have fought so hard to acquire. Terror is a word that sadly LGBT people are far too familiar with, because the threat of physical violence, even death, is still a daily part of life for our community, especially transgender Americans. Yet, Sunday's massacre particularly strikes at the heart of LGBT pride because June is the month when we come together from the east to the west coast and celebrate our diversity, our individuality and above all, our community. While we still don't have all the details, it pains me that this attack in a gay nightclub was the worst mass shooting slaughter in American history. To add insult to this nightmare, when there was a call for blood donations from blood banks in Orlando, many gay men were left out because gay and bisexual men are still banned in America from donating blood. People often ask why GMHC is fighting for policy changes to help the public, and yesterday's events are an example of why we do what we do each day. We cannot allow this mass shooting to pass with no real action from our elected officials. It is time for our leaders to finally do what is right and put common sense gun control regulations in place. It is time to create a blood donation policy that is inclusive and based on science, not stigma. At times like this, I am reminded that the LGBT community was built out of unthinkable adversities. The love and pride our community has is an example to all Americans of how we will once again come together and take care of our own. When the world turned its back on us as HIV and AIDS ravaged our community, we defiantly stood up and fought back. When they said you can't marry the one you love, we stood up and won the right to say "I do". The terrorist chose Pulse Night Club for a reason. It is time for us to once again stand up and say you can't scare us back into the closet. We will love proudly, we will dance proudly, and we will march through the streets proudly this month and every month. Our hearts are broken, but our spirits will fight on in honor of those we lost. |
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