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Pulse Coalition Observes Six Year Mark of the Shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Renews Call for Action on Gun Safety and LGBTQ+ Rights

6.10.2022

Today, the Pulse Coalition released the following statement ahead of the six-year mark of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub, a hate-motivated act of gun violence in which 49 people were shot and killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando, and entire communities were left permanently scarred. The six-year mark comes as the nation honors Pride month while still reeling from hate-fueled mass shootings across the country, including the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, predominantly Black and Latinx communities, respectively. 

“Six years since the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub, we remember the 49 lives who were taken by a hate-fueled act of gun violence. Even as we celebrate Pride, their loss continues to reverberate throughout and beyond the Latinx, Black, and Queer communities. As lawmakers in Florida actively work to make our communities less safe, particularly for trans and queer youth — we honor those whose lives were stolen that night with a renewed call for action. We must continue to fight at the intersection of gun violence prevention and LGBTQ+ rights to make Florida — and the United States — safe for all.” – The Pulse Coalition

This year, Florida and other states advanced anti-LGBTQ+ legislation while simultaneously attempting to dismantle their gun safety laws, even as transgender and gender nonconforming people were already facing record levels of violence, a trend that disproportionately affects Black trans women. Between 2017 and 2021, there were 177 homicides of transgender or gender non-conforming people, and 73% of these gun homicides were of Black trans women. Anti-trans legislation and weak gun laws not only enable hate-fueled violence, they can also create mental health crises that put LGBTQ+ people at increased risk of suicide. According to a survey by The Trevor Project, 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

The Pulse Coalition was formed ahead of the five-year mark of the shooting at Pulse Nightclub and consists of QLatinx, The LGBT+ Center Orlando, the OnePulse Foundation, Equality Florida, Equality Federation Institute, GLAAD, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This year, as queer communities and communities of color continue to face attacks on their existence, the Pulse Coalition renews calls for policymakers at every level to disarm hate and prioritize true safety for all.

To read statements from each of the coalition member organizations, please visit the Pulse 6 Years Later webpage