It could have been me in that bathroom hiding from a shooter, sending text messages to my mother. It could have been me on that list of lost lives that was released to the public. It could have been me.

When the news of the shooting at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Pulse was released to the public many people were shaken by the fact someone could do something so evil on such a mass scale. My family and a lot of my friends can separate themselves from these feelings and pretty soon this will become just another news story to them, but I and many other people cannot do that. This was my community that was attacked and now I live in the aftermath of it.

I knew I wasn't straight in middle school, but I really came to terms with it in early high school. High school gave me the chance to meet people like me, I felt so alone because I was under the impression that there was something wrong with me because I didn't just like boys. I now know that I am who I am and it is what it is and I wouldn't have it any other way, my sexuality has never been a choice, but if it was I was rather queer than straight, angry, and ignorant.

I have come out countless times to family and friends and me probably always will be coming out to people and though I always feared their rejection I never feared for my life until now. It never occurred to me that holding a girls hand in public could cost me my life.

Omar Mateen ended the lives of forty-nine people and injured almost the same amount. Now their families and friends must carry on with this pain. He has wounded a large community of people emotionally and spiritually. This was his end goal, to bring fear to this community and I won't lie to you and say that I am not afraid. The safest option for me right now would be to sit down and shut up. It would be to live in the fear that he has left behind. But I am writing this today to let you know that I will not do that. More than anything this community needs love and hope. And I will raise my voice among others until we get the equality we deserve. I will never stop fighting.

I look toward the government in this time of tragedy because regardless of where you stand politically or how you see the second amendment something has to give with this gun situation, I am sick of turning on the news just to hear about more innocent people being killed.

To those injured and killed in Orlando, I wish more than anything that this wouldn't have happened.

Those living in the aftermath will fight on to see another day. May we never stop fighting.