With all the commotion and uproar that the Orlando shooting has caused, people have taken to social media to show their disbelief and express their condolences. Others are figuring out what they can do to help out and assist those who need it most. While thoughts and prayers are nice, taking action is the best thing we can do right now for the LGBTQ community. If you’re looking to help out or show your support, here are a few ways you can do just that.

1. Donate blood

Gay people cannot donate to a blood blank so that leaves part of a community of people out of the running to help. Line up at your nearest blood blank or have someone in your community hold a blood drive. There are still people out there needing it.

2. Listen to those who are mourning

One of the best ways we can learn is to listen. Stop forming your own opinions for a little while and listen to those around you who are directly or indirectly affected by this. There’s nobody better to learn from about these matters than those in LGBTQ community. They’ve fallen victim time and time again so they’ve got a lot to say.

3. Use your voice

We’re so good at using our voices any other time but fall silent when there are tough issues to take a stance on. If we want to see progress, we have to make it ourselves. Get out and actively support the LGBTQ community. Whether it’s in your own area or directly with the government, anything helps.

4. Set aside your differences

I’ll go ahead and say it right now, I was raised in a Republican household and have a lot of Republican views. That said, I know how to set aside my differences in order to help those who are in need. I have family and very close friends who are gay and lesbian. I love them dearly and hurt for them as they are indirectly affected by all of the things happening right now. I own guns in my house and loved shooting with my dad growing up. I still don’t know how any one person could buy an assault rifle, look someone in the eyes and shoot them. It’s horrifying. We all have our differences but that’s what makes us a unique makeup. Our world needs to learn to set these differences aside when people need help. Black, white, gay, straight – we’re all humans and if it were you, you’d want the same support as anybody else.

5. Donate to the families of those who were killed or injured

The families of the Orlando shooting are still bearing the costs of funerals and medical bills. You can help them in their time of need by donating to a host of different organizations and GoFundMe pages. Here are a few of them. Donate Here.

America has seen a lot of hatred and loss lately and hopefully with all of this comes some lessons learned. Now is as good a time as any to start banding together and lifting each other up. There is no room for discrimination or hate as we have been tearing our country apart. It’s time we are strong, resilient and most of all compassionate.