Every nation is home to racists, bigots and misogynists; only America arms them
Remembering Lauri Carleton
Lauri Carleton, a clothing store owner in Southern California, was murdered over the weekend by a man who, according to police, was outraged that she had hung a Pride flag outside her shop. The suspect allegedly made several disparaging remarks about the flag and before shooting Carleton in the head and killing her.
In the aftermath of her murder, friends, neighbors and allies have described Carleton, 66, as a “remarkable figure” whose "unwavering support" for the LGBTQ+ community created safe and inclusive spaces. They also said this wasn’t the first time an extremist had taken issue with Carleton’s Pride flag, and that it had been ripped down multiple times.
Every time, Carleton simply replaced the flag with another, refusing to cave in to the hateful bigots who vandalized her store.
Carleton’s murder is a tragic reminder that homophobic and transphobic rhetoric coupled with weak gun laws have enabled terrorist attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. In an average year, over 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm — that’s 69 hate crimes carried out every day.
The vast majority of those hate crimes are directed against people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people. One in five hate crimes specifically target LGBTQ people. And in most of the country, some people convicted of hate crimes can still legally buy and have guns.
As the mother of a non-binary adult child, I am always worried about my kid’s safety. Hate and guns are a deadly combination and, as a gun safety advocate, I’ve seen firsthand the toxic culture our lawmakers have created. To pander to their base, they’ve purposefully put our loved ones in the sights of extremists simply because they are gay or trans.
This isn’t freedom; this is terrorism. And every single one of us has an obligation to stand up, push back and help disarm hate.
Lauri Carleton fought for her Pride flag because she knew it symbolizes so much more than allyship — it represents a desire for America to fulfill its promised that ALL citizens are created equal and deserving of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If you have a pride flag, this week would be the time to fly it. If you don’t have one, it’s a good time to buy one.
The solution isn’t taking down a symbol of solidarity to avoid being singled out - it’s putting up so many that that we outnumber the people filled with hate.
