Mass shootings compound loss felt by marginalized groups
ATLANTA (AP) — Pulse was more than a safe space for Brandon Wolf and his friends. The nightclub was a haven for members of Orlando, Florida’s LGBTQ community — a place to be themselves without fear.
“It’s probably the first place I ever held hands with somebody I had a crush on,” Wolf said. “Without looking over my shoulder first, it’s one of the first places I ever wore my skinniest pair of jeans without being afraid of what someone might call me.”
On June 12, 2016, a gunman targeting the club’s patrons killed 49 people there, including two of Wolf’s best friends, and wounded 53. “It’s left such a hole in our hearts,” Wolf said.
After mass shootings, the loss felt by marginalized groups already facing discrimination is compounded. Some public health experts say the risk for mental heal...