A survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando has confronted lawmakers for “not [doing] a damn thing” to prevent further mass shootings.
Brandon Wolf, who lost his friends Christopher Andrew “Drew” Leinonen and Juan Ramon Guerrero during the mass shooting, told protesters at yesterday's Never Again rally in Florida that politicians had to make a decision: “Fix this nightmare or write your concession speeches.”
Organisation Gays Against Guns protest in Florida. Source: Getty Images
He continued: "The NRA bankrolling us has turned our country into a war zone. Americans are done dying for you. And our children are done being your sacrifices."
Wolf joins Parkland's shooting survivor Emma González, whose powerful speech has been shared all over the internet, in a wave of young members of the LGBTIQ+ community rising up and demanding tougher gun control laws. 18-year-old González is openly bisexual and the president of her school's Gay-Straight Alliance.
Thousands rally for gun control in Florida. Source: Getty Images
During Wolf's speech, he recalled his experience surviving the Pulse massacre, sharing his ongoing frustration with the government's inaction.
"In the days and weeks that followed Pulse, I told myself we would be the last. I vowed that Drew and Juan’s deaths would not be in vain. I screamed: ‘Never again,’" he said.
“I begged for action. I pleaded on national television. But just like every group before me, I was met with silence and apathy.”
He then told Florida Republicans, including former Presidential candidate US Senator Marco Rubio: “I pray that you look in the mirror and figure out your priorities.
“I pray that you sign the No NRA Money pledge. And should you continue to choose your wallets over our lives, I pray you enjoy retirement.
“Because,” he said to growing cheers from fellow protesters, “we will vote you out.”
