There’s no evidence yet that Mateen was directly ordered by ISIS to carry out this attack it appears that he was instead “ISIS-inspired,” part of the terror state’s broader global strategy, and chose the target himself because he “got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami,” his father told the AP. The mass shooting in Orlando on Pride Weekend has introduced a sad coda to this simmering undercurrent of constant violence that threatens LGBT Americans daily. All of which is to say: There is a very deep-seated bigotry embedded in America’s identity. While outright hate crimes against LGBT Americans may be on the decline, they have certainly not disappeared, and almost nine million citizens face daily abuse and discrimination. By contrast, some 30 states have anti-LGBT laws (including “religious freedom” protections) on the books, despite the fact that “religious freedom” is a losing argument against LGBT rights even among Christians. Only 17 states (and Washington, D.C.) have affirmative bans of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Mississippi passed a bill in April allowing businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples. States like North Carolina have adopted restricted bathroom use laws for transgender Americans, essentially humiliating a subset of their taxpayers other states are considering following suit. Mateen was also not an unknown threat he had popped up on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s radar before and was interviewed several times in the last few years regarding (inconclusive) connections to other ISIS-linked American extremists.Īnd this isn’t just at the federal level. The New York-born son of Afghan immigrants, Mateen had pledged his allegiance to ISIS and expressed anti-gay sentiments to friends and family. Authorities quickly identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Saddiqi Mateen, according to the Associated Press. But that celebration has been clouded in mourning.Įarly Sunday morning, a heavily armed gunman opened fire inside Orlando’s famous Pulse nightclub, killing 50 people in the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. With Pride parades around the country planned for today, millions of LGBT Americans are expected to spend their weekend in celebration of their identities.
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Participants show their support for victims of the Orlando shooting during the 2016 Gay Pride Parade in Los Angeles, California.