LGBTI advocacy groups and transfeminist organizations gathered in Verona, Italy, today (30 March) to protest the World Congress of Families.
Organizers estimated that the march reached more than 50,000 people. Many took to the streets of the city in Northern Italy with placards and banners.
The demonstration aims to support the LGBTI community and all women whose rights have been threatened by the WCF.
Now in its 23rd year, the Christian Congress has raised concerns across the country and internationally for its vocal opposition of LGBTI rights and reproductive rights.
A platform to spread discrimination
‘We’re more than 50,000 according to official estimations’ says Mattia Stella, President of Pride Vicenza.
‘It’s impossible to tell where the parade ends.’
He joined many other LGBTI people and allies for the demonstration.
‘I’m here today with thousands of other people to state there’s no such thing as one kind of family. And that gender equality should be a priority for every country claiming to be democratic,’ he told GSN.
‘Events such as the WCF are providing platforms to spread hate and discrimination.’
He furthermore added: ‘We’re not here only for ourselves, but also for the future generations. We hope they won’t have to go through this medieval-like era someone is imposing upon us.’
Anti-LGBTI speakers at World Congress of Families
A three-day convention, the WCF opened its doors on 29 March.
Significantly, the counter-protest took place on the same day where Italy’s far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is set to speak.
Among this year’s speakers, there are also international figures infamous for opposing LGBTI rights, such as Lucy Akello.
As Shadow Minister for Social Development, Akello supported a law in Uganda mandating the death penalty or life imprisonment for gay people.
Survivors of Chechnya’s homophobic purge are, with very few exceptions, always anonymous.
Many people have fled for their lives. Officers could catch them and send them back to a concentration camp.
People are tortured, humiliated, beaten and electrocuted and murdered.
Very few can bear the pain without breaking.
Some former detainees have revealed what happened to them to Human Rights Watch.
The following survivors have all been given pseudonyms to protect their identities.
Survivors of Chechnya’s homophobic purge reveal what happened
One remembers a torture named the ‘carousel’. Security officials put you face down on the floor and beat you with pipes.
Officers, when they’re tired, also force other prisoners to carry on with the beating.
‘You literally turn black and blue from waist to toes,’ one survivor said.
Other survivors remembered the homemade electric chairs.
One said: ‘They turn the knob, electric current hits you, and you start shaking. And they keep turning the hellish machine, and the pain is just insane, you scream, and scream, and you no longer know who you are…
‘Finally, you faint, it all goes dark, but when you come to your senses, they start all over again.
‘And once they’re done with you and you get your bearings, you hear other inmates screaming, and the sounds of torture are just there all day, and at some point, you start losing your mind.’
Zurab
Zurab, 32, spent a week in the detention facility.
On 1 March, he was arrested at his home. Quickly, he deleted his cell phone of all evidence of his communications with other gay men.
The police officer drove Zurab to a security compound. The officials dragged him into a room where he saw two gay acquaintances. One of them was bloodied and bruised from a recent beating.
The security official demanded to know who he was and his relationship with them. Zurab claimed they were just business contacts.
‘They beat me, they gave me electric shocks attaching wires to my ear-lobes,’ he said.
‘I would not give in. I insisted those two lied about me.’
He also said: ‘But the humiliation was the worst part of it.
‘They called me a ‘woman,’ a ‘fag,’ an ‘ass-bugger’… the most offensive things one can call a man. They mocked me, taunted me. I could not stand it. I wished they just killed me.’
Zurab was also not fed in seven days he spent there locked in a cage, losing 22 pounds in a week. He was given water in accordance with Muslim ritual and only after prayers.
Security officials released Zurab after finding no evidence he was gay. Two weeks later, a friend told him security officials had rounded up an ex-lover who had pictures of him on his phone.
‘I could not face another detention…’ he said, who fled to southern Europe.
He also said: ‘If they showed [it] to my relatives… If my father doesn’t kill me, my uncle will.’
Khasan
A placard at a Chechnya protest in London, April 2017, targeting Russian President Putin for his inaction (Photo: David Hudson)
Khasan, a 20-year-old university student, was lured by an officer posing as a potential date.
The two met and the officer said there was an apartment outside the city limits.
After driving for 30 minutes, the officer posing as a gay man drove off the road into a field.
‘Three security officials in black uniforms were waiting for us there,’ Khasan said.
‘I understood everything as soon as I saw them, I begged him to turn back, I cried–but he pushed me out of the car.
‘They beat me, kicked me, and punched me in the face. They stripped me naked and filmed me on a cell phone, as they gave a running commentary about having caught a “faggot”.
The officials found Khasan’s phone and found intimate photographs and messages with other gay men.
Khasan was left with a broken jaw and bruises.
They said he had a month to deliver several thousand dollars or he would be outed to his family.
Khasan sold all his valuable electronic equipment, borrowed money and came up with the sum.
‘I did not have a choice. If my relatives found out about me being gay, the shame for the family would be unbearable,’ he said.
After he paid the ransom, he fled to join other survivors. He later learned that friends of his had been abducted – likely with information gathered from his phone. A friend’s mother called him in tears saying police had dragged her son away.
Magomed
Magomed, 35, spent 11 days in the detention facility in Argun.
Three security officials accosted Magomed in a public place in Grozny. With them, a gay acquaintance was in handcuffs.
When the officials asked Magomed what they were after, he said no. One of the men then hit Magomed on the head.
Handcuffed, dragged into a car, he was driven to the camp. He was held there with around 40 to 50 people.
‘Every day it was torture, torture, and more torture,’ he said.
On his release, family members of many detainees had assembled in an official facility.
The officials shouted abuse while family members were forced to stand and listen.
Each detainee had to step forward, face his family and also ‘confess’ his sexual orientation.
‘Our relatives were in tears and they [officials] were telling them, “You know what to do now.”
‘They didn’t say “kill” but it was all crystal clear,’ Magomed said.
One of the detainees refused to ‘confess’ and security officials refused to release him to his relatives. Several other detainees were not released because their family members did not show up.
While officials ordered Magomed to not leave Chechnya, he kept hearing about detentions of gay people.
He immediately fled Chechnya for a neighboring region without even stopping to pack a bag, and from there went to central Russia.
‘My life is ruined. I cannot go back. And it’s not safe here [in central Russia] either,’ Magomed said.
Chechnya Crisis Appeal
As well as using our investigative journalism to keep you informed about what’s happening on-the-ground as it happens; we’re inviting you to make a difference today by donating to the Chechyna Crisis Appeal.
Every dollar, euro and pound you give will help evacuate LGBTI people in the most danger. And to pressure the Chechen authorities to stop this persecution.
Please also share our appeal with your followers, friends and family; ensuring we raise awareness and apply pressure to permanently end this abuse.
Police raided a LGBTI center in Arkhangelsk, Russia today (28 March).
Officers arrived at the community center, Rakurs (meaning Angle), after an alleged ‘complaint’.
A Rakurs spokesperson told Gay Star News the incident is still ongoing at the time of publishing.
Officers arrived to the center, which provides advice to the LGBTI community, and demanded to inspect the office.
Volunteers, lawyers, and five visitors were also all prevented from leaving.
Officers are inspecting and withdrawing materials from the center.
Ivan Rasputin, the head of the Information Relations department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Arkhangelsk region, declined to comment.
Authorities have seven days to respond to comment.
Gay propaganda in Russia
Sources suggest Russia’s government may wish to fine or ban the organization for conflating rules on ‘gay propaganda’.
In 2013 Russian president, Vladimir Putin, passed the ‘gay propaganda law’ which banned ‘information promoting the denial of traditional family values’ and ‘propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations’.
Activists have also argued the law censored the LGBTI community.
Its introduction has also led to a vast increase of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic attacks.
The group works to protect the rights of LGBTI people in the northern region.
In December 2014, the court recognized the organization as a foreign agent.
Earlier this month, police interrogated an organizer of a youth festival.
Yulia Tsvetkova was receiving death threats for her part in organizing the Color of Saffron festival in the far eastern town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Due to run this weekend, local authorities canceled the event over concerns one of the plays in the festival promoted a ‘LGBTI agenda’.
The play called Blue and Pink featured teenage actors and discussed gender. The colors blue and pink are often represent the gay and lesbian community in Russia.
Authorities told festival organisers it would not be going ahead. They also accused Tsvetkova of importing ‘corruption and persecution’ from Europe.
Brunei is reportedly planning to introduce anti-LGBT laws next month that could see people whipped or stoned to death for same-sex activity.
Homosexuality is illegal in the east Asian country and punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.
Under the upcoming changes to Brunei’s penal code, punishments could include whipping and stoning to death for people found guilty of adultery, sodomy and rape, according to human rights groups.
The country introduced Islamic criminal law in 2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included failing to pray on Friday or pregnancy outside of marriage.
A subsequent backlash led to the final two stages being delayed, but the country now reportedly plans to introduce the changes on 3 April.
The Brunei Project, a human rights group, posted on social media: “The Brunei Project recently learnt that after years of continually delaying implementation of phases 2 and 3 of the Syariah Penal Code (SPC), the Brunei Government is now rushing through the final two phases concurrently, with the laws scheduled to take effect on 3rd April 2019.
“While this means that the Government is breaking its promise to implement the laws in three distinct phases, with a grace period between each phase, what is even more alarming is the secrecy with which it is doing so.
“According to one source, there is an existing ban on the local media reporting on implementation of the SPC, although this cannot be verified at present. At the time of writing this post, most people in Brunei remain unaware that the SPC is scheduled to be fully implemented in less than two weeks.”
The Facebook post continued: “Among the punishments will be the amputation of limbs for theft, the death penalty for apostasy, and a range of punishments for those found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with members of the same gender and adultery.”
The organisation also highlighted that Brunei signed the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, although it has not yet been ratified.
“By implementing these laws, Brunei is clearly in violation of its obligations under the CAT,” the organisation added. “The Brunei Project calls on the Brunei Government to stop being so secretive with the implementation of these laws and to be open and transparent with the Brunei people.”
ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a Manila-based human rights group, confirmed the implementation of the remaining changes were due to take place on April 3, citing government documents, Reuters reported.
Italian trans men have been left without testosterone shots crucial for their hormonal therapy since September 2018.
The Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) is the public agency that regulates drug distribution in Italy. In February 2019, it updated its list of temporarily unavailable drugs.
The list now includes many of the most popular testosterone-based medications, crucial in hormonal therapy for trans men. The most popular being Testoviron, a testosterone-based injectable solution by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer.
Buying drugs online can be extremely dangerous
Many see no other way than to buy those meds they desperately need online from countries such as India, Russia, and Ukraine. These cheaper drugs purchased illegally might have potentially negative effects on people’s health.
In a reportage published by Italian magazine L’Espresso, the situation is described as an ‘emergency’.
Trans men need to take testosterone enhancing medications for their whole life. Stopping taking hormones would impact trans men’s physical as well as their mental health dramatically.
Many trans men dread getting their period back. This happens when a stronger testosterone shot, such as the now unavailable Testoviron, is replaced by those containing lower levels of testosterone, such as Sustanon by Aspen Pharma. This is the main substitute for Testoviron.
Except now Sustanon, too, seems to have disappeared from the chemist’s shelves.
‘Many people resort to websites selling testosterone illegally on the Internet or at local gyms,’ Michele Formisano, president of Italian trans advocacy group CEST, told GSN.
‘It’s hormones we’re talking about. They often have no idea of what they’re about to inject themselves with. Particularly, many young trans men who are yet to see an endocrinologist end up buying meds carelessly.’
He furthermore added: ‘This is an issue across the board. It doesn’t affect trans men exclusively. Cis men with tumors or genetic diseases need Testoviron for their hormonal therapy as well.’
‘Production issues’
A spokesman for AIFA explained the Italian demand for testosterone-based drugs is higher than most countries, such as the Netherlands.
However, importing the drug from the Netherlands will imply a ‘packaging issue’, Domenico Di Giorgio told L’Espresso. The package insert would be in Dutch and therefore the drug would not be marketable in Italy.
AIFA also told GSN that the lack of testosterone-based meds might be due to a production issue, such as the malfunctioning of machinery.
Di Giorgio further explained patients are unaware of other legal solutions, such as going to their local public healthcare facility (ASL) and filling out a form.
Whoever needs a specific drug can fill out a form, which then is sent to a hospital pharmacy and, finally, to AIFA for approval.
Public healthcare facilities
However, not all ASLs deal with cases of genderdysphoria, particularly in southern Italy.
‘There are very few public healthcare facilities treating gender dysphoria here. Therefore, many trans men choose to see endocrinologists privately,’ Formisano added.
‘Public health endos often don’t know or don’t want to deal with this.’
An endocrinologist working for an ASL might refer a patient to a gender dysphoria specialist who often works in a different region.
In many cases, Rome is the closest destination for trans men from the south. Accessing testosterone-based medications would mean sustaining expensive travel costs to get to the capital city.
Alongside a lack of experience in treating transgender patients, ASL staff often misgender and discriminate against trans men and women.
‘In many ASLs, you need to explain your situation to untrained staff,’ Formisano said.
Many maintain this happens because the staff there isn’t properly trained on LGBTI issues. This leads to a breach of trust between healthcare professionals and patients.
One of the consequences is for trans patients to neglect their healthcare and resort to dangerous alternatives.
A trans advocacy group is offering support
‘We’re providing trans men with legal support in the event public endocrinologists refuse to fill out the form to import testosterone,’ Formisano also said.
‘Some of us have stocked up on testosterone. We need to take it every 15, 21 or 28 days, according to the specific therapy we’re on. We need to take hormones our whole life.’
Many trans advocacy groups are protesting and launching campaigns to raise awareness on the issue.
AIFA told GSN that Sustanon will be back on the shelves at the end of April, whereas Testoviron will become available in September 2019. That would make a year after it first went missing.
‘A year for a trans man on hormonal therapy is an eternity,’ said Formisano.
The Justice Ministry of Japan has granted special permission to a gay Taiwanese man to stay in Japan with his partner.
The man, who is in his 40s, lived with his partner in Japan for 25 years. He illegally overstayed his visa. However, in a rare move by the government, his deportation order was revoked and a special residency status was granted, his lawyers said Friday (22 March).
The man was suing the government because he was denied special permission to reside in Japan. He has now withdrawn that suit.
According to Kyodo News, one of the lawyers said: ‘It’s the first time that special permission to stay in the country has been given to a foreign gay partner of a Japanese citizen.’
However, the Justice Ministry denies sexuality played a part in the decision: ‘We didn’t change our usual conduct. We didn’t give special weight to the fact that he was a same-sex partner but looked holistically at their situation, including their actual lives.’
No marriage equality
The defense team says the man originally entered the country on a one-year student visa in September 1992. He enrolled in a Japanese language school.
He re-entered the country on a three-month visa in October 1993. The next month he started his relationship with his partner, who is now in his 50s.
However, they were discovered in June 2016. His deportation was ordered, but the man filed a petition with the Tokyo District Court the next year to have the deportation revoked.
While some cities offer symbolic partnership certificates, Japan does not officially recognize same-sex relationships.
According to Japan Times, the man criticized the government for not recognizing same-sex partnerships: ‘Over the past 25 years, I had no other choice but to live with the person I love in hiding, as same-sex partnerships have not been accepted socially.
‘If we had been allowed to marry, our lives would have been different.’
The UN’s LGBT expert on Thursday (21 March) called on the world to end laws that criminalize LGBT people by 2030.
‘I don’t see why we shouldn’t ask to see a world free of criminalization by 2030’ Victor Madrigal told the International Gay and Lesbian and Transgender Association (ILGA) world conference in New Zealand.
Some 70 states worldwide criminalize same-sex consensual activity, according to an ILGA report released Wednesday.
‘Decriminalisation is not getting us from zero to one: it is getting us from minus one to zero’ Madrigal said.
‘There is no room to argue for legal justification of criminalization of same-sex relations’ he also said.
He fought back against some countries’ that have anti-gay laws but claim they are not implemented. He said people still used the laws to harass and threaten LGBTI people.
‘Criminalisation creates an incentive for persecution’ he argued. He promised to engage states anti-gay laws.
‘Coalition is fundamental, not one state can do this alone’ Madrigal told the conference.
More than 500 people from 100 countries have gathered for the ILGA conference.
State-sponsored homophobia
ILGA released the 13th edition of its report into laws that affect LGBTI people world-wide this week.
It found that as of March 2019, 70 States continue to criminalize same-sex consensual activity.
Six UN member states impose the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts. It is technically possible in another five states.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria all have the death penalty for gay sex.
In 26 other countries, the maximum penalty can vary between 10 years to life imprisonment.
At least 32 UN Member States have put in place provisions that limit people’s freedom of expression.
‘These are not just numbers, but laws that actually impact the daily lives of people of diverse sexual orientations around the world’ commented Ruth Baldacchino and Helen Kennedy, Co-Secretaries General of ILGA.
A lesbian who escaped the ‘gay purge’ in Chechnya has bravely shared her story, even though it could get her killed.
The woman – who remains anonymous for her safety – shared the horrors of growing up LGBTI in Chechnya and how she wasn’t even safe from her own family.
In early 2017 the world started learning how Chechnya – a region in the north Caucasus of Russia – had started rounding up, detaining, torturing and executing men because of their real or perceived sexual identity.
But in 2018 Chechen authorities turned their sights onto lesbians and trans people.
‘In two years, we were approached by 37 girls who position themselves as lesbians, and two transgender women from the republics of the North Caucasus,’ said Igor Kochetkov, head of the Russian LGBTI Network.
‘Also in 2018, we began to receive reports of girls being detained by the police on suspicion of homosexuality. According to reports from Chechnya, there are girls among those detained in December to January.’
Chechen authorities denied the claims, saying gay people don’t exist in Chechnya.
Not even safe from family
The lesbian who escaped Chechnya told news agencey current time that her ex-girlfriend outed her to her family. Even though she ran away from home twice, on of her brothers tracked her down.
‘One of my brothers came for me, and we went home. My mother was unhappy with this. She told my brother: “Why did you bring her home? You should have shot her somewhere in the forest, as we agreed”,’ the woman said.
‘But my brother did not do it – my father forbade him to do it.’
Kochetkov said the Russian LGBT Network had received many reports of ‘honor killings’ of women who had relationships with other women in Chechnya.
Her parents tried to send her to a psychiatric hospital for treatment and told her the demon, Jinn, had possessed her. So they sent her to a local mosque to undergo an exorcism to expel it.
‘We all understood that there was no Jinn in me, but I had to pretend and pretend that it actually existed,’ she said.
‘I pretended, my parents believed me, but after a few months I ran away again. And then I turned for help to the Russian LGBT Network to help me, hid me. It was 2017.’
No one cares if a lesbian is killed, says persecuted lesbian
Six months after her second escape to Russia, the woman managed to leave the country altogether. But she said not so many women in Chechnya are as lucky as her.
‘There are those who are still in Chechnya and [for various] reasons cannot leave there,’ she said.
‘This is especially true for girls. It is much harder for them to do this, because they are controlled: they cannot quietly leave the house, so that someone does not accompany them. Therefore, their evacuation is quite difficult to arrange.’
The woman said more men have been detained in Chechnya because ‘girls almost always go out to the street accompanied’ by a family member.
She also said many people who had escaped Russia are still to afraid to speak out, even if it is anonymously. But she chose to do an interview because ‘the less we talk about it, the less something will change’.
‘I would like people to talk about the problems that exist, and also talk about the problems of [Chechen lesbians], because no one notices women,’ she said.
‘If they kill a gay, everyone talks about it. But if a lesbian is killed, almost no one writes about it.
‘A woman [can] be taken out to the forest, killed, come home and pretend that there was nothing. And not a single neighbor, not a single relative will ask.’
#ChechnyaInCrisis
As well as using our investigative journalism to keep you informed about what’s happening on-the-ground as it happens; we’re inviting you to make a difference today by donating to the Chechyna Crisis Appeal.
Every dollar, euro and pound you give will help evacuate LGBTI people in the most danger. And to pressure the Chechen authorities to stop this persecution.
Please also share our appeal with your followers, friends and family; ensuring we raise awareness and apply pressure to permanently end this abuse.
George and Amal Clooney are setting up a new program to monitor trials and courtrooms around the world that oppress LGBTI people and other groups.
According to Reuters, their Clooney Foundation for Justice is launching TrialWatch this year.
The project aims to ‘monitor trials and create an index to track which countries are using courtrooms to oppress minorities and government critics’.
George Clooney, 57, said courtrooms can be used to do ‘really rotten things’. TrialWatch is meant to ‘shine a light’ on what’s happening with these global trials.
‘We now have the highest number of journalists in jail in the world since records began,’ Amal Clooney said at an event in Edinburgh.
Amal Clooney, 41, is an international human rights lawyer. She is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and has represented the likes of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
She said she hopes to use both her and her husband’s fame and power to do good.
‘It helps when we want to engage governments to act or business leaders,’ said the British-Lebanese lawyer.
The couple, who married in 2014, founded their Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016. It serves ‘the rights of individuals unfairly targeted by oppressive governments through the courts’.
The organization’s mission statement advocates ‘advancing justice for marginalized and vulnerable communities targeted by hate; justice for displaced children deprived of opportunities to learn; justice for refugees seeking to rebuild their lives abroad’.
Power of courts
Courts have the ability to dictate laws in countries and legalize protections for LGBTI people — or the opposite.
LGBTI advocacy groups around the world have condemned Friday’s terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that have left at least 49 people dead.
Express, an LGBTI newspaper in Auckland, reported organizers of the Wellington International Pride Parade that was scheduled to take place in Wellington, the country’s capital, on Saturday have postponed event.
“We, like all New Zealanders, are hurting today,” said parade organizers in a Facebook post, according to Express. “We have considered long and hard about asking Wellingtonians to walk alongside us in solidarity with our friends and whanau in Christchurch; we don’t want terrorists to win, we don’t want terrorists to dictate how we live our lives.”
The 2019 ILGA World Conference is scheduled to begin in Wellington on Saturday. The organization in a tweet said it is “shocked and saddened by the news of what happened in Christchurch.”
“All our solidarity goes to the Muslim community in New Zealand and beyond,” said ILGA.
Media reports indicate a 28-year-old gunman who was born in Australia killed 41 people at a mosque near downtown Christchurch when he opened fire at around 1:40 p.m. local time. Authorities say the gunman — who reportedly live-streamed the attack on Facebook — killed seven people at a second Christchurch mosque before police arrested him.
Reports indicate 48 people were also injured in what has been described as New Zealand’s worst mass shooting.
The gunman has been charged with murder and is expected to be arraigned in a Christchurch court on Saturday. Media reports indicate police have detained two people in connection with the massacre.
“It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday during a press conference.
Ardern said those who planned and carried out the attack have “extremist views that have absolutely no place in New Zealand and in fact have no place in the world.” She added they chose New Zealand “for the very fact that we are none of those things.”
“We represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it,” said Ardern. “Those values I can assure you will not and cannot be shaken by this attack.”
President Trump and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa Scott Brown are among those who have also condemned the attack.
“We’re heartbroken over the events in Christchurch today,” said Brown in a tweet. “We stand with our Kiwi friends and neighbors and our prayers are with you.”
Friday’s terrorist attack took place against the backdrop of continued anti-Muslim rhetoric from Trump and his supporters, including Fox News host Jeanine Pirro who sparked outrage last week with her suggestion that U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is un-American because the Somali-born congresswoman wears a hijab. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are among the other world leaders who have sparked criticism in recent weeks with comments that their critics contend target immigrants and other marginalized groups.
“We are heartbroken and outraged by this terrorist attack on Muslims in places of worship, and we mourn for the victims and their families,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin on Friday.
“Hate violence against Muslims is a global epidemic, fueled by the toxic combination of Islamaphobia and xenophobia that has led to tragedies here in the United States and in nations around the world,” he added. “While in these moments, only the attackers are directly responsible, there is broader climate of hate that encourages and inspires deadly extremism such as this. We call on politicians who traffic in dangerous anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant hate speech, including Donald Trump, to immediately stop the fear-mongering and divisive politics that can have deadly consequences. Now is a time to be united against hate — not engage in the ‘both sides’ rhetoric that only serves to legitimize extremists.”
Friday’s massacre took place less than three years after a gunman killed 49 people inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
The onePULSE Foundation, which Pulse owner Barbara Poma launched after the 2016 massacre, on its Facebook page wrote “the fear and pain experienced in New Zealand is something we in Orlando know all too well.”
“These hateful acts of terror strike us in the places where we feel most safe and accepted, and the shock of that hate is felt around the world,” said the foundation in its Facebook post. “We want the community of Christchurch to know that Orlando is holding them up today. We will stand with you during this darkest time. There are no comforting words for those who lost their loved ones, but we hope the strength we send helps you. We stand with you in your grief.”