Icon from a picrew by grgikau. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
While we gear up and prepare for the first anniversary, It’s really important to understand some context of the Pulse massacre.
It happened on Latin night in Orlando. One of, if not the largest growing Puerto Rican enclaves outside of the archipelago of Puerto Rico. The night was specifically welcoming of latinx and other communities of color and these specific facts must not be forgotten.
The largest mass shooting in American history was a hate crime against gay people. Don’t ever forget that.
June 12, 2016. Putting a date on this for when it gets reblogged months from now by people who think the post is about something from 30, 40 years ago.
remember it was latin night. remember the victims were majorly black and latinx.
The largest mass shooting in American history was a hate crime against gay people. Don’t ever forget that.
June 12, 2016. Putting a date on this for when it gets reblogged months from now by people who think the post is about something from 30, 40 years ago.
The group laid one lei in front of Pulse nightclub to honor the victims who died there. They presented another section to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, in support of medical professionals and the wounded who are in their care. The last section of the lei was displayed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Each one “represents joy, love, and healing and peace,” Lehua Kekehuna, a Hawaii representative, told WKMG Orlando. “That’s what we’re hoping it will do for everyone here.”
UnitedHealth Group is offering free mental health services to anyone in the country who was emotionally affected by the shooting at Pulse in Orlando – even if you don’t have health insurance.
Optum will operate a 24/7 helpline, and users can speak to a trained mental health professional for as long as they need. Individuals can call toll-free at 866-342-6892. The company is also providing access to their benefits site, which contains mental health information like professional tips on how to manage anxiety.
“The helpline can be an easy, accessible way for people to reach out,” William Bonfield, chief medical officer of OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions, told The Huffington Post. “It can provide support, an opportunity to talk and help a person decide if mental health treatment may be helpful.”
Please please please take advantage of this if you need it! Mental healthcare is so important but can be so freaking expensive, and processing Pulse might take a lot out of you. That’s okay – help is out there. And if you’re looking for someone LGBTQ-specific to talk to, the Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline are available for you too.
One of the most frustrating aspects of the mainstream conversation surrounding the tragedy at Pulse Orlando this past weekend is the erasure of Latinx/Afro-Latinx bodies from the story being painted. This is not simply an issue of terrorism or gun violence or homophobia. More than that, it’s about how folks at the intersections, at the margins of the margins, are often re-traumatized/victimized by the state and the dominant after experiencing violence or threat thereof. Nowhere is this clearer than in the the case of undocumented victims in the Pulse massacre. Take some time to read the following article in full, and if you haven’t yet, consider donating to the victims of this tragedy. (Equality Florida, the sponsor of the main GoFundMe has vowed assistance, regardless of status. However, in the coming days, I am going to try and find some more direct pathways with some local comrades. Stay posted.)
Have you heard anything about this hero, who saved so many lives during the shooting at Orlando night club? It’s not a surprise you haven’t , because media remains silent about this.
“I wish I could have saved more, to be honest,” said a brave ex-marine who had saved 70 people during Orlando nightclub shooting.
Imran Yousuf, a 24-year-old Hindu who left the Marine Corps just two months prior to the shooting, was working as a bouncer at the Pulse nightclub and recognized a gunfire just a second after he heard it, while most people in the club mistook it for a part of the show. He reacted quickly and saved as many lives as he could…
if only he was white, they would have screamed about it out loud.
