A joint statement released today by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) blames Donald Trump and Marco Rubio for dishonoring the memories of the 49 people killed at the Pulse Orlando shooting in June. Trump and Rubio planned to attend an anti-gay gathering of evangelical pastors at the Hyatt Regency, Orlando by “The Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project,” according to a DNC release and The Orlando Sentinel.
The gathering has already created controversy, with state Democrats calling it an “anti-LGBT rally” and calling on U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to cancel his appearance and with DNC Chair Donna Brazile and DNC LGBT Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes’ immediate release of a joint statement.
“Instead of honoring the memory of those we lost at Pulse two months ago, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have come to Orlando to headline a gathering of some of the nation’s most incendiary anti-gay bigots. We at the DNC join all people of good conscience in expressing our solidarity with the Orlando LGBT community as they continue to grieve the deadliest shooting in American history. We suggest Trump and Rubio disavow these anti-gay extremists who have likened gay people to Nazis and characterized HIV/AIDS as divine ‘penalties’ for being gay. Failing to do so will be yet another example of the utter lack of judgment that makes Trump unfit to serve,” read Brazile and Fowlkes’ statements.
The “Rally to End Hate #ForThe49”, a reference to the 49 people killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting was scheduled for 11 a.m. Organizations that joined the Rally were Equality Florida, The GLBT Center of Central Florida, Organize Now!, The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, Human Link for Pulse, PFLAG – Orlando, and Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.
[From a News Release]
