Post-Pulse USA: The Eye Opening Difficulty Of Being Gay In Today's Society | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Post-Pulse USA: The Eye Opening Difficulty Of Being Gay In Today's Society

​To be a queer millennial in a post-pulse USA is to recognize the uncertainty of your future.

10
Post-Pulse USA: The Eye Opening Difficulty Of Being Gay In Today's Society
Turner

To be a queer millennial in a post-pulse USA is to recognize the uncertainty of your future, to finally connect the dots only to find yourself inherently unsafe. It is to know that you are safe nowhere, the spaces you idolized as free of violence and open to you in every imaginable way are now tainted with a very real threat of violence. To be a queer millennial in a post-pulse USA is to realize, as so many queer people have before you, that you do not own your body because at any given moment it can be taken away from you.

After pulse, it took me quite a long time to come to terms with what had happened and what it actually meant. For me, my queerness has always been a source of pride, something I accept as part of my personality. I don’t think I’ve even been the type of person to flaunt my personality but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I never come out, rather I’ve always just thought that my sexuality wasn’t the whole of my personality so sharing it immediately just never made sense to me.

I was at the national speech and debate tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah when the news broke. I remember waking up at around three in the morning, checking my phone and seeing a news alert for another shooting. I assumed it was just another mass shooting, another daily act of gun violence far too common in the U.S. When I woke up I realized how bad it actually was, with Pulse being the worst mass shooting in US history, but I still hadn’t realized what it meant. I think it took two full weeks to finally come to the conclusion that what happened at pulse could happen anywhere. I had read about and studied the history of violence in the US leading up to stonewall and what continued to happen afterward, but for me, those massive acts of violence had ended. With the passing of marriage equality, I finally had hope that some progress, small as it may be, had been made and that maybe, just maybe, my body was my own.

After pulse, however, I began to realize that marriage equality was nothing more than a smokescreen for the everyday violence that queer people, especially queer people of color, face on a daily basis. I began to realize, as so many queer people have before, that the legacy of violence is still happening and will continue until after I am gone. I realized that safe spaces are non-existent and queer bodies will always live under the threat of violence. I began to realize for the first time in my life that I was truly afraid, that violence against queer people was real and it could happen at any time, any place, and for any reason.

Looking back at the aftermath of pulse, I am left just as disappointed. The federal ban on MSM donating blood for one year still exists and in some places, the lifetime ban is still enforced. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), two months after pulse is attending an anti-LGBT Rally and will deliver the keynote address. And even most recently, the outing of Olympic athletes in Rio seems to remind me again how unsafe queer people are at all times. It seems as though positive social change is little more than a trend leaving me wondering how much more violence is necessary before people realize the change needs to happen.
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

181435
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

8341
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

453284
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23788
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments