title:  This Gay Man’s Love-Filled Response To The Orlando Shooting Is Going Viral
text: On Sunday morning, Americans awoke to the news that 50 people had been senselessly murdered in Orlando, Florida, simply because they were gay.The shooter was a New York born red, white and blue New Yorker, who just happened to have the name Omar Mateen. He also allegedly claimed an association with ISIS.Some Americans have been celebrating that the shooting happened in a gay nightclub. Others, like Donald Trump, are gloating, thinking that this justifies his xenophobia (again, the shooter was an American citizen. He only had to cross state borders). The true victims, no matter how you frame it, though, are the LGBT community, who have been the targets of hatred for centuries, and today was just another example.Jacob Tobia is an outspoken member of the LGBT community. They (according to their website) are a speaker, a writer and an advocate and not a fan of gender-specific pronouns. Jacob s response to the shooting has gone viral for a very good reason. It s all about love, something we are sorely lacking in today s political climate:They are right. This is not a battle between the LGBT community and Islam. The right would like nothing more. Donald Trump would like nothing more. This is a battle between love and hate, and it s time that hate loses.Judging by the comments, most agree with Tobia.Their Twitter feed isn t much different:It doesn t matter if the shooter was Muslim His identity, our fear, our sadness: nothing justifies islamophobia pic.twitter.com/zE8OU1x0rc  Jacob Tobia (@JacobTobia) June 12, 2016There was only one sickening response, which in today s climate of hate, isn t bad: @JacobTobia It matters. The shooter was crazy, and a Muslim (but I repeat myself). Islam is a gutter ideology. #whiteLiberals sicken me.  Jack (@JWilliamPope) June 12, 2016Let s hope this message of love can get through to the hearts of those who hate. The LGBT community did nothing to bring this tragedy on and the Muslim community as a whole is not to blame.Featured image via Jacob Tobia s Twitter.