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Gay clubs are meant to be safe spaces. Now one is the site of the worst US mass shooting.

Gay bars and nightclubs are supposed to be safe spaces for gay people. But with the horrific mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the illusion of safety has been shattered for many LGBTQ Americans today — especially since this attack happened during LGBTQ Pride Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the equality and rights of gay people and others in the LGBTQ community.

On Twitter, Daniel Leon-Davis captured the sentiment of so many as he wrote about his experience with Pulse:

This is a very common sentiment within the gay community. As a gay, Latino immigrant myself, gay spaces like bars, nightclubs, and even the internet gave me a place to feel like I was safe and accepted in a world that I perceived as intolerant, bigoted, and even dangerous. Unfortunately, a mass shooting makes it just a bit more difficult to believe that these places really are safe spaces.


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