The mass shooting July 12 at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, left 49 people dead and 53 wounded — and a nation stunned. While shooter Omar Mateen's motives are being discussed and disputed, it's almost certain that homophobia figured in the attack, although one man has claimed the motive was revenge on Puerto Ricans, as it was the club's Latin night. Nevertheless, it was a massacre of mostly LGBT people. While it was the most deadly attack ever on LGBT Floridians — and the biggest mass shooting in U.S. history — we must recognize that the have been other homophobic and transphobic attacks in Florida, some carried out with a gun and others with a fountain pen, to paraphrase Woody Guthrie. Pictured above is Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was relentless in trying to block marriage equality in the state. More about her later. Click through to see a brief history of homophobia in the Sunshine State.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
