June 12, 2016 
To Omar Mateen and all others who plot violence against the LGBT community:
We aren’t afraid of you.
We know real fear. For many of us who grew up lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, our greatest fear was never your automatic weapons, your fists or anything else born in your depraved heart.
Real fear was being unloved. By our parents, our siblings. By our extended families and dearest friends. By our schools, churches, workplaces and communities.
There’s nothing you can ever do to us that scares us more than the thought of losing love. But once we revealed ourselves to others — no matter the outcome — our worst fear was forever behind us.
So if your aim was to leave us in terror, you lose.
We are wounded. But as we mourn, we’ll honor those with the courage to celebrate their lives openly while you and your kind live in the dark like cockroaches.
We’ve seen much worse than you. We don’t do fear anymore.
KGMacGregor.com 
Your essay is timeless, your words are priceless, our hearts are grateful. Thank you, KG MacGregor, for expressing what so many of us could not, still in shock from this mind-bobbling tragedy.
Well said, K.G., as always. But we also have to be careful. I read this article today. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-06-13/gay-muslim-filmmaker-orlando-shooting-shows-islam-no-religion-of-peace
No idea how legit that is, but the author seems to be a known gay filmmaker.
Are there violent Muslims who hate gays? Of course. Are there violent Christians who hate gays? Yes. Neither proves that all or even a majority of those who claim the faith wish violence on the LGBT community. This is one filmmaker’s journey to document hate. Social scientists found something different here in America: American Muslims are more tolerant of gays than evangelical Christians. https://theintercept.com/2016/06/13/stop-exploiting-lgbt-issues-to-demonize-islam-and-justify-anti-muslim-policies/
Either way, their violence is not something that will make me cower in fear or change the way I live my life. Nor will it cause me to hate a whole group of people, no matter how much the right wing pushes the Muslim threat.
I m neither gay nor lesbian and I am glad you are not fearful. I truly believe the gay and lesbian community is made up of the nicest, kindest and most gentle people ever. Even more so than the straight community.
Thank you, Pat. Our allies are so important.
KG… boy do you have a way with words. Thank you for this amazing and very true sentiment. You help make us more sure, if we weren’t already. My heart feels good after reading your words here. Heartfelt thank you.
It’s good to remind ourselves from time to time just how strong we are.
Thanks KG! As a newly out lesbian, the fear of being unloved is still close by. Your comment is comforting. My greater fear is the radicalization of the Christian far right.
Congratulations! Or rather, Welcome! Our family is always there for you. As for the Christian Right, I would liken them to cornered animals lashing out. But more, I think they’re gathered at the shore while the party boat is pulling away from the dock.
Long live LGBT community we don’t have any fear or whatsoever. We are proud to be who we are
You said it!
Very well said, KG
Thank you.
Thank you, KG.
And thank you for all the times you said what we were thinking.
I think that those of us that came out in the 60’s lived two separate life’s. Coming out was not a choice but a need to be true to our core being. Ultimately, it would have been much more difficult to live in hiding. Today a fellow on TV said that we all need to unite against hate and ignorance. I guess that is the next great challenge.
It breaks my heart that some folks I know still hide. Our books are their window into what their world should be..
This is the Beautiful Truth! Love really does conquer hate. Love has been winning (gay marriage rights & such). ONE person went nuts because of it.
Let’s not let his sick perspective on life make us forget how much love and understanding there is in the world.
I am “straight” but I feel that the gay people I know are more sensitive, honest, loving than the average person.
The man who did this obviously never took the “risk” of getting to know a gay person. What a sad life to close his mind to so much beauty.
We bear the weight of all the backhanded “love the sinner, not the sin” brand of acceptance. Even today, politicians and pastors refuse to own their part in setting us up.
Well said KG. And quite honestly, I am sick and tired of “Our thoughts and prayers” statements from certain political party types. Yesterday some of those people who are saying “thoughts and prayers” were condemning gay, lesbian, bi and trans to hell and worse. Save your hypocrisy. We like you better when you aren’t lying.
Yes, ma’am.
KG, you just dropped the mic.
Thank you.
Reblogged this on Romance and Chocolate and commented:
I have few coherent words. KG MacGregor has words and they are all, as usual, very coherent. Please read.
Of course we will see the true stripes of our oppressors today. We will see prettified homophobia and racism substituted for condemnation. It might be as simple as “Of course this was a terrible thing…” while the word “but” hangs in the air. The echo of that long ago and groundbreaking episode of Designing Women “all the right people died” and idea that there is nothing to see here, just tragedy as usual, so move along.
We’re going to see a sudden rush to push all the responsibility onto either a lone shooter or an ideology outside our borders. Just as Carly Fiorina doesn’t think she bears any responsibility for the murders at Planned Parenthood, Mike Huckabee, the “Family” Research Council and everyone who gives them money will think their hands are clean.
Why should they possibly connect supporting “Kill the Gays” overseas with the #PulseMassacre? They’ll crocodile tear for the camera and whistle while they work.
For those who think elections and judges don’t matter I have no time for you today.
As Marco Rubio — who actively opposes gay marriage, adoption rights and civil rights — goes on TV to decry Muslim bigotry.
He’s a Senator from my state. He is the epitome of a hypocrite.
What you said touched me, Thank you.
Well said, KG.
Thank you.