Missouri, local LGBT leaders condemn Orlando terror attack
UPDATE:The Red Cross is accepting donations toward the response in Orlando. Donate at 800-733-2767 or click here. They are also accepting blood at all Columbia locations, click here to find the nearest one.
ORIGINAL: Several state and local LGBT leaders are condemning the mass shooting in Orlando that left at least 50 people dead Sunday.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon tweeted in response to the attacks around 4:00 Sunday afternoon saying “#Missouri stands with #Orlando against hate and terror.”
Senator Claire McCaskill also issued a statement on the attack just before 4:00 Sunday afternoon.
It said,”I’m heartbroken. And it’s a familiar feeling. It’s a depressing thing when such tragic events become so routine. We’ll be learning more about the poisonous ideology that led to this attack—on a community that’s had so much to celebrate in recent years, but who’ve long endured violence because of who they are and who they love.”
McCaskill also said “we need to do more than know the facts surrounding this attack. We need to summon the resolve as a country to confront the issues at work here—issues of hate, and terrorism, and of military-grade gun violence in our communities. I’m resolved to do so, and I join Americans across the nation in standing with the victims and their loved ones in the face of this tragedy.”
Former Mizzou football player Michael Sam also weighed in on the violence. You’ll recall Sam announced he was gay back in 2014 and has since become a leader for the LGBT community.
On his Instagram account, Sam said in part, “Let this hateful act of terror of the#LGBTQcommunity be a wake up call for America. Men and women of all races, ages, and sexual orientation are being slaughtered because of hate crimes. How many more must die from a hate crime? We need to create awareness to ALL that hate is not the foundation of our nation.”
Sam went on to say “Friends DO NOT let this coward put fear into your hearts!!! Let us all come together stronger than ever and let the world know that we will not be terrorized or bullied by the actions of hateful bigots. We are here to stay and fight not only for equality, but for our very existence.”
The University of Missouri’s LGBTQ Resource Center also tweeted in response to the violence. The center offered support for members of the community saying “If you need to talk, there are those willing to listen.”
It also listed these numbers as resources for anyone wanting to talk about the shooting.
-Counseling Center: 573-882-6601
-The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-738 (24 hours)
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Monday, June 13th at 8:00 p.m. at the Boone County Courthouse Amphitheater? in Columbia to honor the victims of the shooting.
