Orlando Shooting and Hate Crimes

At the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, following the release of our statement on the shooting in Orlando, Florida, we have been working to make sure that the national dialogue acknowledges the experiences and identities of all those affected. We cannot talk about Orlando as an LGBT incident without acknowledging that the violence predominantly affected Latinos and people of color. Most statements in response to the Orlando shooting have not specifically acknowledged that this was also a tragedy for Latinos and people of color.

At the Lawyers’ Committee, we’ve had an active media presence focusing on the need to contextualize this massacre.  Our executive director was featured on CNN en Español. He also joined Kevin Peterson (Boston Herald) on his radio show “Politics & Grits.” He was also interviewed by the Bay State Banner, and appeared on “The Take with Sue O’Connell” on NECN.

In response to our remarks — and in consultation with our staff — a number of local and national organizations have released new statements in response to Orlando specifically acknowledging the compounded impact of the shooting on multiple and overlapping communities.

Three months after the Orlando shooting, our executive director discussed the intersection of Latino and LGBT identity with Karen Holmes Ward of Channel 5 WCVB’s “CityLine” and with the Rainbow Times.