Today, NCLR joins more than 150 other LGBTQ Latinx groups and allies reaffirming their commitment to ending violence against marginalized communities following the June 12, 2016 shooting at an Orlando, Florida LGBTQ bar that left 49 people dead and more than 50 seriously injured.

Statement

We, the undersigned, a coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Latinx organizations and allies make the following statement in the spirit of education and with the purpose of honoring the more than 100 people who were murdered or injured at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12th during the LGBTQ establishment’s Latinx-themed night. We call on all people to defeat with compassion the scourge of hate crimes based in animus toward LGBTQ people, people of color, and those who live in the intersection of our communities.

This sad truth was borne out again at Pulse where 49 people were killed. Nearly half of the victims were Puerto Rican. Many were Cuban, Dominican, Ecuadoran, Mexican, Salvadoran, Venezuelan, Afro Latinx, and from other Latinx communities. Almost all were members of the LGBTQ community. Some were undocumented. Over half were under 30, with the youngest victim being just 18 years old.

The LGBTQ Latinx community faces disturbing realities. As the U.S. Latinx population has grown, the incidence of hate crimes against Latinx people has risen disproportionately, tripling in one recent year. According to a study published last week by The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, murders of LGBTQ people in the United States increased by 20 percent between 2014 and 2015. NCAVP’s research on hate violence also shows that LGBTQ people experience violence not only by strangers, but in their everyday environments by employers, coworkers, landlords and neighbors. In addition, according to FBI records, crimes motivated by bias due to sexual orientation and gender identity represented the largest category of hate crimes (20 percent in 2015). Further, as documented by the FBI so far this year in the United States, there have been 14 murders of trans women reported, but the FBI data are assumed to be conservative given their dependence on accurate reporting.

If we are to be truly free, we must recognize and address all the toxic components of this hateful act– homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexism. We are concerned that the current anti-Muslim narrative will plant seeds of fear that will fester into hate. We are concerned that some will use this tragedy to prevent our movements from building bridges, understanding, and love between people of color, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized communities. We state our steadfast support of LGBTQ Muslims and their communities who live under a cloud of suspicion and threats of violence also, understanding that our prospects for liberation are interlinked.

We reiterate our commitment to advancing our movement and our resolve to live as proud LGBTQ people without fear of discrimination. We call for comprehensive action to restore to young LGBTQ people of color the safety and well being that they deserve. We call on individuals and organizations who care about peace, justice, and love to engage with and support our LGBTQ Latinx community at the intersection of all struggles against violence so that we can work to eliminate all the forms of animus – racism, homophobia, and transphobia – that take precious lives from us every day.

*Latinx is a gender-inclusive form of Latino/a. Spanish is a gendered language that does not account for the multitude of gender and identification variables existing in our communities.

Signed,

Advocates for Youth

AGUILAS of San Francisco

AIDS Alabama

Alianza Ciudadana en Pro de la Salud Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Transgenero y Aliados de Puerto Rico (ACPS-LGBTTA)

ALSO Youth

Alternativa Nicaragüense de Diversidad Sexual (ANDISEX)

American Civil Liberties Union

Arcus Foundation

Aqua Foundation for Women

Ariann@ Center of Ft. Lauderdale

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

Association of Latino/as Motivating Action (ALMA)

Basic Rights Oregon

Believe Out Loud

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center

Brooklyn Community Pride Center

Casa Ruby

Central Illinois Pride Health Center

Center for Black Equity

Center Latinxs at The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community

CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers

Centro Comunitario LGBTT de Puerto Rico

The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection

The Change Project

Charlotte Latin Pride

Citizens Alliance Pro LGBTTA Health of Puerto Rico

Colectivo Acción Latina de Ambiente (ALA), San José, CA

Collier County Neighborhood Stories Project (CCNSP)

Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)

Community Justice Project

Compass Community Center

The Consortium of Higher Education LGBTQ Resource Professionals

Corral Consulting

Council for Global Equality

Dolores Huerta Foundation

Enlace

Equality Alabama

Equality Arizona

Equality California

Equality Federation

Equality Florida

Equality Illinois

Equality New Mexico

Equality North Carolina

Equality Ohio

Equality Texas

Equality Maine

Fair Wisconsin

Familia es Familia

Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement

Family Equality Council

Florida Immigrant Coalition

Florida Latina Advocacy Network of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

Freedom to Work

Fundación Latinoamericana De Acción Social, Inc. (FLAS)

Galaei

Garden State Equality

Gay Mens Health Crisis

Georgia Equality

Gertrude Stein Club

GetEQUAL

GLAAD

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality

GLSEN

Gran Varones

GreenLatinos

GSA Network – Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network

Harvey Milk Foundation

Hispanic Health Network

Honor PAC

Human Rights Campaign

Immigration Equality

Interfatih Alliance

Interfatih Alliance of Iowa

International Imperial Court System

Intersecting Queer Identities, Princeton University

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

Kaleidoscope Youth Center

La Clinica Del Pueblo-¡Empodérate! Center

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)

Lambda Legal

Latin American Youth Center

Latino Commission on AIDS

Latino Equality Alliance

Latino GLBT History Project

Latino LinQ

Latinos in the Deep South

Latino Pride Center

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, New York City

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

LGBTQ Center of Central PA

LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland

LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert

LGBTQ Visitor Center on Miami Beach

LULAC Dallas Rainbow Council #4871

LULAC LGBTQ Council – Cincinnati, OH

MAP

Marriage Equality USA

MassEquality

Muslim Advocates

The Montrose Center

The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity

The National Black Justice Coalition

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

National Council of La Raza

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

The National LGBTQ Task Force

NMAC (National Minority AIDS Council)

The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)

The New York City Anti-Violence Project

One Colorado

Orgullo de San Antonio LGBTQ LULAC Council 22198

OUR Walmart – Florida

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

OutFront Minnesota

The Pride Center at Equality Park

PFLAG National

Pride Center of Staten Island, Inc.

Pride Center of Vermont

Pride at Work

Pridelines

PRISM Youth Initiative

PROMO

Puerto Rico Para Tod@s

Q Center of Portland

Queens Pride House

Rainbow Center

Religious Institute

Rockland County Pride Center

ROSMY

Safe Space for LGBTQI Hispanic Youth- Cleveland OH

San Diego LGBTQ Community Center

SAVE

Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)

Servicios de La Raza

SocialScope Productions

Somos Familia

Somos Familia Valle

South Texas Equality Project (STEP)

Southerners On New Ground (SONG)

Stonewall Alliance of Chico

Students Working for Equal Rights

Tennessee Equality Project

Texas Gay Latino Pride

TransLatin@ Coalition

TransLatin@ Coalition of Georgia

Trans Queer Pueblo

Trans United Fund

The Trevor Project

True Colors Fund

Unión = Fuerza Latino Institute

United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

United Latin@ Pride

Unity Coalition | Coalición Unida

Valley AIDS Council

Voto Latino

Wall Las Memorias Project

William Way LGBTQ Community Center

World Out Games