After a gunman killed 49 people and injured dozens more in a horrific act of hate at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, many people are asking what they can do in response to this terrorism. For wealthy donors and foundations, there are two imperatives: Fund the ongoing struggle for the safety, health and full social inclusion of LGBTQ people, and bankroll a movement for sensible gun laws that can counter the outsized influence of the National Rifle Association and its funding base of gun manufacturers.
The attack in Orlando was an act of malice directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Throughout U.S. history, when a group of formerly marginalized people have begun to achieve fuller social inclusion, there has typically been a violent backlash against their progress: Lynching of African Americans increased dramatically in the South after emancipation. Attacks on abortion providers have increased apace with legal access to reproductive health. With the recent progress of the LGBTQ rights movement, we can expect violent acts against LGBTQ communities to continue and possibly escalate. This was not the only reported act of terrorism targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S. this month.
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