Today marks the seven year remembrance of the Pulse nightclub shooting, where we tragically lost 49 individuals to gun violence. The majority of those directly impacted identified as LGBTQ+ and young people of color.
The violence on that night, amidst pride celebrations at a known LGBTQ+ nightclub, was a targeted attack meant to disrupt the sense of community and belonging that make LGBTQ+ spaces known as safe spaces. Tragically, seven years later, the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community have anything but subsided.
“The dangerous transphobic, homophobic, and xenophobic rhetoric that contributed to the massacre at Pulse is being amplified today by extremist politicians who are using the levers of government to attack their LGBTQ+ constituents,” said Kelly Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign in a statement released today.
The overwhelming volume of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in state legislatures across the country in 2023 is not a coincidence. A total of 77 bills have been signed into law as of June 8, 2023 with hundreds more still pending review – there are over 540 that have been introduced in 2023 alone (220 targeting transgender and non-binary people) more than any year on record. These bills aim to ban access to affirming health care, reduce (and in some cases erase) LGBTQ+ visibility, roll back existing rights and legal protections, and reduce cultural and social inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in our communities.
As the increase of hate crimes continue to rise, so does the trauma and negative mental health effects that ripple out from the victims, to their loved ones and community, and to all of us across the nation and the globe.
MHC will continue to honor the lives of those lost through action as we fight back against all forms of bigotry and work to prevent acts of hatred. We call on the community to embrace love and inclusivity as we continue to work toward a world where every individual is celebrated for who they are.
See below for resources. Share them, save them, and get to know them before you need them.
Luis B. Pérez, LCSWPresident and CEO
National:
#HonorThemWithAction https://honorthemwithaction.org/
MHA LBTQ resources: https://mhanational.org/lgbtq
The Trevor Helpline: 886-488-7386 (Suicide Hotline) Available 24/7. Call and chat options are available on their website.
HRC released a downloadable guidebook including health and safety resources, a summary of state-by-state laws, “know your rights” information, and resources designed to support LGBTQ+ travelers as well as those already living in hostile states: https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/national-state-of-emergency-for-lgbtq-americans
For CT resources
