In response to Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, LGBT groups are calling for additional gun control. So far 58 killed and more than 500 injured at the Mandalay Bay resort.
A statement released by Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin said.
“After Newtown, our nation called for action. After Tucson, Virginia Tech, Aurora, San Bernardino, Charleston, and Alexandria, we called for action. After the shooting at Pulse Nightclub a little more than a year ago, we called for action. Yet, in the face of these mounting tragedies, many of our lawmakers have refused to act on meaningful gun safety legislation. As these politicians fail to act, at least 58 people in Las Vegas were killed last night, while hundreds more have been injured. It’s time for Congress and the White House to act. We need leadership now, and we must continue to demand it until our lawmakers either hear us — or we have new lawmakers.“
Little information has been released about the kind of weapon the Vegas shooter used, the scope and lethality of the attack show that it was a semiautomatic weapon (possibly even a fully automatic one) both of which qualify as assault rifles.
Gays Against Guns formed in response to the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando last year. The group has been going to gun shows to talk with participants about the effects of gun violence and confronting politicians who resist further gun restrictions. GAG‘s website said,
“Thoughts and prayers without action are meaningless.
Earlier yesterday, while all the victims of last night’s shooting were looking forward to a day of fun in Las Vegas, members of Gays Against Guns boarded a van and drove to a Pennsylvania Gun Show. This is the third Gun Show visit we’d done and, as far as we know, we’re the only gun violence organization to have gone to these shows to speak with people who are strong supporters of the Second Amendment. We’re not confrontational, but we engage with people and ask them to consider the facts. It can be uncomfortable at times, but this is what must happen if we want to change minds and save lives.”
GAG will hold a rally tonight from 6 to 8PM at Union Square in New York City, and it has a meeting scheduled for 7PM this Thursday at the New York LGBT Community Center.
The Las Vegas attack surpassed the Pulse shooting as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
(Photos, Twitter; via The Advocate)