From the NYT:
A Night of Terror, a Year of Racism
Adam Manno
ON CAMPUS JUNE 12, 2017
ORLANDO, Fla. — A year ago today, a mass shooting during a Latin-theme dance night at Pulse, a popular gay bar in Orlando, Fla., left 49 people dead, more than 50 injured and the city — particularly its L.G.B.T. and Latino communities — shaken.
My mother was crying, worried I had been at the club. … Three years before, as a freshman at the University of Central Florida, I often went to Pulse with my new college friends, all of us L.G.B.T. in one way or another and looking for a sense of community that seemed out of reach in straight daylight.
I remember being amazed by the swift and empathetic response from the city and much of the country. … As a gay person of color, I found something truly comforting about this response. Part of me felt accepted, understood and even coddled in the midst of this harrowing event.
Another part felt more targeted than ever.
My mom is from the Dominican Republic, where I spent most of my childhood. … But my dad is from Pakistan, and from him I inherited a thin nose, dark eyes and a full beard of coarse hair. I am used to being treated as a suspicious person.
When I fly, for example, my Spotify playlist is usually interrupted by a T.S.A. agent letting me know I’ve “been selected for additional screening.” …
This stereotyping has gotten much worse since the Pulse shooting, because despite the outpouring of support for L.G.B.T. and Latino people, the tragedy became an excuse to vilify Muslims before the 2016 presidential election.
The day of the shooting, before most of the victims were identified, Donald J. Trump, then a candidate, tweeted: “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism.” … The national coverage linking Islam to the massacre was inescapable. …
The Pulse nightclub shooting was a terrible act of violence against a marginalized group of people. Attacking another marginalized group is not the way to prevent more shootings, or to help survivors heal.
Mr. Manno is LGBTQ, Hispanic, Pakistani and, uh, Muslim-looking (while he doesn’t exactly claim to be Muslim in this op-ed, he seems to be trying to give the impression he is). That’s a lot of Diversity Pokemon Points!
I, for one, welcome our new intersectional overlords.
