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  Welcome to LAGAI - Queer Insurrection

As we were finishing work on our June issue of UltraViolet, we heard about the horrible mass shooting at the Pulse Club, a gay bar in Orlando, Florida. At least 50 people were killed and more than 50 wounded.  After a three-hour standoff, the shooter was killed by police. Most of the dead are young gay men of color.

We mourn these deaths and we are enraged by the violence against our communities. It was an act of hate and sadly, hate is endemic in the u.s. today.  We hear people all over the world promoting hatred, whether it is hate against people of color or anti-Muslim hate or anti-gay/anti-trans hate.  Mass shootings and individual shootings are the inevitable result. Having so many men with guns running around doesn’t help either. It would be wrong to allow the deaths in Orlando to be used by politicians to turn around and attack Muslims.

Now the SFPD has announced an increased police presence for the already overly policed Pride celebration this month. More men with guns, who’ve already shown their lack of restraint, will not make us safe.

(Our Grief Is Not A Cry For War was a performance conceived of by a grouping of artists drawn together by the events of September 11th, 2001. It first performed September 22, 2001 at Union Square in New York and twice in the following weeks at Times Square. More than 100 artists stood silently and motionless for an hour at each performance. Some “audience” members joined during the piece.)