The shooting at the pub ‘Pulse’ in Orlando came as a complete shock to everyone. It showed that the world is still not totally positive and accepting when it comes to the choice that is not followed by the majority. A homophobic man shot 50 people because he thought same-sex love is sinful.
NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling called the tragic incident ‘deadliest in the US history’. People might have condemned the shooting but rhetoric of hatred continued.
Well, it’s not the first time that such incidents of hatred have come forth. We just need to look back at our history and we will encounter incidents when sexuality has overpowered talent. Alan Turing, the well-renowned mathematician who played a key role in decoding the messages in the Enigma machine during World War II, was persecuted when it was discovered that he is a homosexual. His contributions were forgotten and as per the court orders, the historic figure was given ‘women’ hormones to ‘cure the disorder.
We’ve talked about why coming out is important and why we need to address the problem of discrimination against the community. The numbers recording the violence against LGBTQ+ only emphasize the point.
As reported by MTV Elect This,
In many states, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against someone based on their gender identity or sexual orientation, and even legally married gay couples face obstacles to their rights to familial leave, adoption, and more. 31 states lack fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBT people in housing and employment. From discrimination in the workplace to public bathroom restrictions, transgender people constantly face obstacles simply based on who they are. And despite the fact that it has been categorically denounced by medical experts, so-called ‘ex-gay conversion therapy’ is only banned in four states.
While on one hand, we see negativity and hatred against homosexual people, there are some ‘angels’ who have taken upon themselves to secure people’s right to choose whom they should love and not let anyone else mess with their choice. Meet Orlando local Theatre Group who came out after the day of shooting dressed as angels. Why? The theatre group just wanted to spread love and peace and to let the mourners of the deceased who were killed in the shooting mourn peacefully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9qcBwoelh0
The move to turn out as angels came out when the group got to know that Westboro Baptist Church was planning a protest against LGBTQ+ on the spot where the shooting massacre happened. The Church has been protesting fervently against homosexual people and openly criticizes their lifestyle calling it unnatural and something that God would never approve.
The “angels” were not having any of it and they stood like guards between the mourners and the protestors so the message of hatred does not reach to the families of deceased.
Shawn Mendes made a very important point recently on his SnapChat. He said that even if he was gay, it shouldn’t have mattered to people as he is primarily a singer. Sexuality is someone’s personal matter and we need to respect who they are.
We would like to know about your opinion on the issue and the angel’s act. Tell us in the comments or tweet @CelebMix .