On Saturday, June 11, I went out to Hyde Park in Tampa instead of my original plans in Orlando. I was out until 3 a.m., completely unaware of the chaos that was happening less than an hour away from me. I was doing the exact same thing the people in Orlando were doing, just having fun. Waking up to the news that an attack on a nightclub shook me. Learning that 50 innocent people lost their lives just under an hour away from me broke my heart. Hearing that this was an attack on a gay club infuriated me. "An act of terror and an act of hate," as President Obama declared it. An act of hate on people for what reason? Why? My heart has been aching for those people. I had friends who had to experience this massacre first hand and for what reason? I had to search and make sure that my Orlando friends were okay. I shouldn’t have to live in fear of losing a friend to violence. No one should have to.
To anyone in the LBGT community, I want you to know that I stand behind you. I have your back along with millions of others. We will protect you. The amount of people in Tampa this Sunday, standing in the pouring rain by bloodmobiles restored my faith. My belief in the human condition. People are offering free apartments to family members for funerals. People are offering money to help with medical costs. People are offering love.
We are all people.
You are who you are.
You love who you love.
Never should you have to live in fear of those things. If you are scared, and you do feel as if you cannot be you, know that I accept you. I love you for who you are.
Fear will not drive out love; I will not let it.
The most important thing we can teach a generation is love and tolerance. Just because someone is not like you, doesn't mean that it's wrong. Just because someone doesn't love the opposite gender, doesn't mean it's wrong. Love is love, and I will keep saying it till the day I cannot speak anymore. We must be the change. People are so quick to throw shade at Millennials, but all I’ve seen these past few days from my generation is love. This generation standing outside for 7 hours to donate blood, offering any kind of help and most of all, taking a stand against hate. The Millennials have the task of teaching the next generation these important lessons of love. And I promise you that we will.
To the victims, to the families, to anyone who is in the LGBT community affected by this. I am so incredibly sorry for the heartache you have to experience. I weep for those who will never get the chance to know this love because of the disgusting actions of the shooter. To the lives cut short because of someone's senseless actions, I hope you are at peace. Please know we will be here, we will support those who stand with us. We will walk hand in hand against the hate.
See, the thing is, love is one of the most powerful forces on Earth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails, and it won’t this time.
