Statement from Meadville City Councilmember Bob Langley on Orlando Mass Shooting

After the horrific tragedy in Orlando, what do I do? Light a candle, stand up and march, talk to reporters, or volunteer for another LGBT group? And I think, wait, you have done it all in the past and are doing these things now. 

What can I do to resolve this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach? What can explain all the emotion over the past couple of days? So I sat looking at the screen, thinking I have to do something. 

There is a need somewhere in me to communicate the emotions that I am feeling and those of many others - I have read their online messages, chatted with them on the computer, talked to them on the phone or watched them on TV.  I am seeing the faces of those people who I respect and look up to struggle to report what they are seeing in Orlando. 

This is not just an act of terror - it's an act to put fear back into the hearts of so many friends, these dear, sweet, funny, kind and intelligent people I admire. They are people who I am not afraid to say I love you to every time I see them. They are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, and that is OK with me. Their life means something. They are normal people in every community in this great county.

Anti-LGBT rhetoric will not silence us by fear. We are not ashamed of who we are! I am not ashamed of who I am, and my friends and family deserve to be treated with humanity. This is not solely a political issue. This is an issue of hate. All of the messages of hate that have been communicated to date have resulted in this horrific night in Orlando. 

A single man took the lives of many beautiful people in Orlando. These people are husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, mothers and friends. His hate has devastated people forever. All kinds of things have come to my mind. 

If your religion - no matter what religion - requires you to hate, then you need a new religion. This isn't isolated to one religion or ideology. There are other religions that can be just as deadly. Most importantly, the last thing these families need is someone uttering a word of condescending judgment.

The God and church where I worship teaches love, not hate, kindness and gestures of hope. As a country we should be leading the world with lessons of tolerance, hope, safety and love. 

We fly a very special flag this month of LGBT Pride and Solidarity this month, and each color has an important meaning and statement attached:

Green – Nature

Blue – Harmony

Orange – Healing

Red – Life

Violet – Spirit 

Yellow – Sunlight

Together this flag represents the struggles of a community out of a storm. We have found a rainbow and the end is love and dignity for each other. If you don't respect or understand it, this on you. My friends, family and supporters don't have to take on your message of hate.

As an American I have a right to be here and live in this country, just as those who follow other faiths and religions. We can coexist with different beliefs. However, at the end of the day the LGBT community has people we care about, especially those individuals in Orlando who were taken away in a moment of fear and intolerance. 

Folks the LGBT community have friends and family who live here today. They will be here tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that. We are strong and will stand together. This will not take us down. We are not second class citizens. And on Sunday night when I held my husband John closer and my dogs, I knew we were safe. Just for an instant I prayed for the people who died and for friends and families that are broken. 

Let's be clear - we will continue this struggle for what is right and that is to live in communities that are safe. 

So if your political position is on the right or the left, conservative or liberal, remember you have someone, you know someone, or you have touched someone who is just a bit of this beautiful flag of pride we fly this month. 

What you say can affect everyone - be aware of that and what you do. And remember, we will not go away. We deserve respect, dignity and love. If there is a time for our community to unite and show our pride, now is that time.

Bob Langley is a Meadville resident and Member of Meadville City Council.

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