A Brief History of Homophobia in Florida

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.