Several prominent gay-rights activists took to social media to blame Christians for Sunday’s massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Chase Strangio, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, on Sunday said the “Christian Right” is implicated in the slaughter by passing “anti-LGBT bills.”
“The Christian Right has introduced 200 anti-LGBT bills in the last six months, and people are blaming Islam for this. No,” Mr. Strangio said in a Twitter post.
Mr. Strangio was not the only one to draw a moral equivalence between Christianity’s teaching on sexuality and the mass shooting, which was carried out by a man who swore his allegiance to the Islamic State.
“Always fascinating to watch conservatives who won’t support basic non-discrimination laws bash Islamic fundamentalists for being anti-gay,” Ms. Kohn said on Twitter.
“You either support the dignity & equal treatment of all LGBT people or you support their systemic dehumanization,” she said in another post.
Lesbian author Victoria Brownworth also weighed in on the issue, responding to a tweet from former Republican governor Mike Huckabee expressing sympathy for the victims of the attack and their families.
“We don’t want your hypocritical prayers,” Ms. Brownworth said. “You led the fight against LGBT people. You promote this every day.”
The National Center for Lesbian Rights also issued a statement in the aftermath of the attack, calling for an end to laws that create a “toxic climate” for LGBT people.
“In the past two years, cowardly and irresponsible politicians have proposed more than 200 anti-LGBT laws — including those passed this year in North Carolina and Mississippi,” said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell. “Make no mistake, these laws and the pandering of so many elected officials to those who promote anti-LGBT bias foster a toxic climate.”
Fifty people died, including the gunman, and 53 more were injured when Omar Mateen allegedly opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando early on Sunday morning.
He reportedly pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call prior to being killed in a shootout with authorities.
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