Orlando

When you spout hate every day about Latinx people and about TLBG people as if our very presence in this country and in its bathrooms is a lurking menace and then someone shoots up a gay club on Latin night, you need to look at yourself and your contribution to this rather than clinging desperately to your guns and mouthing off about Islamist terrorists in reference to a guy who never went to mosque.

As a queer, I am heartbroken. As an American, I am furious. And I am far more afraid for my friends than myself. Black and brown bodies always bear the brunt of homophobic, misogynistic, Islamaphobic, and transphobic hatred.

It tears me apart. It tears US apart.

Yes — we have free speech in the US. But that does not mean consequence-free speech.

Stop. Donald Trump, Greg Abbott, and Dan Patrick — so many more. So many in positions of legal and jurisdictional power. Stop. STOP STOP STOP. You are killing my people as surely as Mateen has. You have our blood on your hands.