Florida’s Republican Governor Ron De Santis has been criticised for paying tribute to the 49 victims of The Pulse Massacre but failing to mention their LGBTIQA+ or Latino identities.
This week saw the ninth anniversary of the tragic shootings that took place at the nightclub in Orlando Florida.
“Nine years ago, on June 12, 2016, a shooter claiming alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant committed a horrific act of terrorism at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.” De Santis said in a statement, but nowhere did he acknowledge that the venue was an LGBTIQA+ club, and it was holding a Latin night when the tragedy took place.
Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, the state’s first out gay Hispanic senator, said there was no doubt that the omission was intentional.
“The omission was intentional as it was a slight against the impact LGBTIQ and Hispanic communities. The governor’s lack of consistency here shows he cares more about scoring political points in the moment than authentic solidarity with his own constituents.” the senator said.
It’s not the first time De Santis has spoken about the massacre and glossed over the background of the people who were killed. He made a similar statement in 2019, but after there was a backlash the omission was blamed on a staffer.
The venue will soo be demolished and a memorial for the victims erected in its place.
