Georgia LGBT legislators speak out on Orlando nightclub shooting

Walmart has fired a Marietta man who tweeted out that the shooting at an Orlando LGBT nightclub that left 49 dead was “someone doing community service.”

The incident started on June 12 when a man using the account @IWillTryLater tweeted out “Y’all see a Gay club shooting as a horrible tragedy. I see it as someone doing Community Service.” During the morning of June 14 the man’s Twitter profile said he lives in Marietta, but he has since deleted his location. The Facebook profile for a man matching his description and former job title lists his location as Marietta, Georgia.

Another user then tweeted screenshots of the offending tweets to Walmart and asked that disciplinary action be taken. By the evening of June 13, Walmart tweeted back that they had fired the man and later confirmed the action to Georgia Voice.

The three openly LGBT members of the Georgia legislature are speaking out about the June 12 shooting at LGBT Orlando nightclub Pulse, which left 49 dead and 53 injured.

“I am heartbroken, angry, and determined to fight against any senseless acts of violence and hate, especially when it targets a strong and loving community. This is not what we stand for, not in Georgia, and not in this country, and we are better than this,” said lesbian Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) in the statement. “Terrorism, gun violence, and homophobia have no place in our society. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and LGBT community. Love is love, and nothing will change that.”

Rep. Park Cannon ( D-Atlanta), who identifies as queer, said, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of many innocent lives in Orlando this past weekend, and will continue to lift prayers for the family and friends of the victims. Make no mistake, the LGBT community is under attack, even within ‘safe spaces.’ There are many steps we need to take to lessen the occurrence of mass shootings, and I hope that Georgia continues on the path of instilling gun safety on our state.”

And lesbian Rep. Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) said, “What happened in Orlando this weekend was an appalling act of violence. As we continue to grow familiar with the heartbreak of this misfortune around the world, we must stand together and fight for gun safety and equality in the LGBT community.”