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Council of Canadians deeply saddened by attack on LGBTQI community

Photo compilation by Mitú.


The Council of Canadians is deeply shocked and saddened by the mass shooting that targeted the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) community at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida this past weekend.


Forty-nine people were killed, 53 people were wounded, and 6 people remain in critical condition.


We feel it imperative to know the names of those we lost on Sunday, to not allow this to be a depersonalized tragedy, and so are sharing this list of those killed that was published by the Orlando Sentinel.


Our thoughts are also with the survivors of the attack, the relatives of the dead, and the LGBTQI community.


And we encourage you to watch this 2-minute video to better understand the context of this past weekend’s violence.


The Council of Canadians calls for an end to homophobia, all manifestations of hatred and violence, as well as for a strengthening of gun control laws in Canada.


While the semi-automatic AR-15 rifle that was used in the killings this weekend is restricted in Canada, we ask that the Trudeau government make good on its promise to repeal Bill 42, which allows restricted and prohibited guns to be transported without a permit. We also believe there should be enhanced background checks and other stringent restrictions on the licensing of guns.


We offer our condolences, our wishes that those wounded make a full recovery, and our solidarity with the LGBTQI community.


We mourn those lost and harmed this past weekend, and commit to building a society that is inclusive, just, and without hatred and violence.


#PulseOrlando