The Extremist Horror in Orlando

PORTLAND, Ore. - June 12, 2016 - PRLog -- A religious extremist murdered at least 50 and wounded 53 people early Sunday morning in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. A night of fun and community that began at "Pulse" Saturday night ended in bloodshed, screaming and lives shattered by one lone gunman with too much firepower, too much ammunition and too much desire to stop the pulse of so many.

In truth, he was not alone when he pulled that trigger. He was accompanied by all the voices in his head telling him that "homosexuals are an abomination", and that their "sin" is "punishable by death" according to some interpretations of Abrahamic law. His hate of course, was more diverse than simply wanting to kill homosexuals.

Abrahamic law also tells religious extremists that God commands that a woman is not to wear that which pertains to a man and a man is not to wear that which pertains to a woman, for all that do so are an abomination.

Religious extremism in all its forms is the abomination. It won't matter to some child's mother in Orlando if their gay son was gunned down by an Islamic extremist or Christian extremist. It won't matter to the father of a lesbian daughter that the shooter's name was Omar, or Jonah or Brad. It won't matter to the sister of a transgender girl paralyzed by a bullet if that bullet came from a registered or unregistered gun.

We have a growing problem in the United States of America with religious extremism - and pretending that the threat comes only from outside our borders and outside the Christian religion is beyond delusional, it's criminal.

TransActive Gender Center staff is grieving along with the children, youth and families we serve throughout the nation. Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones to religious extremism here and abroad in this time of national tragedy and emergency.

Jenn Burleton
Founder & Executive Director
TransActive Gender Center
http://www.transactiveonline.org