title:  Watch The Moving Apology To The LGBTQ Community From Utah’s GOP Lt. Gov. That Every Republican Should See
text: The GOP is notoriously hostile to the LGBTQ community. Generally, we reject gay republicans, and the former leader of gay GOP group GOProud actually denounced his membership in the GOP, and obviously with good reason. In the wake of the horrible attack on our community in Orlando, many GOP politicians continued to erase us from our own tragedy, prompting rightful and renewed outrage from the LGBTQ community and our allies. I myself wrote a scathing indictment of the GOPers offering thoughts and prayers while still legislating hate. However, there is one member of that party who, once a homophobe, is a million percent on our side now, and he deserves to be recognized for that: Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox.Taking to the stage at a Salt Lake City vigil in honor of the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting Monday night, Cox showed that his words were not empty, that they were heartfelt. First, he apologized for treating LGBTQ people poorly in the past. From Vox:Cox started off saying that he had  an admission and an apology  for the vigil attendees:  I recognize fully that I am a balding, youngish, middle-aged straight, white, male, Republican politician  (many in the crowd burst into laughter at this)  with all of the expectations and privileges that come with those labels. I am probably not who you expected to hear from today. After that humble introduction, Cox went on to say: I m here because yesterday morning, 49 Americans were brutally murdered.   I m here because those 49 people were gay. I m here because it shouldn t matter. But I m here because it does. That is perhaps, to me as a gay American, the most moving part of the speech, period. It shows that he isn t erasing us, that he understands that no amount of rallying in the streets, pride parades, people coming out in support of marriage equality, or anything else changes the fact that this community has suffered terrible amounts of violence, indignity, disrespect, and despair, all for the simple  crime  of existing. Cox went on to address the problem of straight-splaining, and admits that while he stands with us, he cannot know what it is like to walk a mile in our shoes: I am not here to tell you that I know exactly what you are going through. I am not here to tell you that I feel your pain. I don t pretend to know the depths of what you are feeling right now. But I do know what it feels like to be scared. And I do know what it feels like to be sad. And I do know what it feels like to be rejected. And, more importantly, I know what it feels like to be loved. The speech went on to call the victims  beautiful, amazing people,  and Cox was tearful throughout. This speech is not the only thing Cox has done to show his allegiance and support though. He was a vocal supporter of a Utah law that forbade discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.There is so much more than what I have written here in this beautiful, moving 9:39 speech. I urge you to listen to every word. Take it in. I hope it makes it to the computer screens of Lt. Gov. Cox s fellow Republicans. Perhaps some of them will be able to have a similar change of heart.Watch this amazing speech below: Featured image via kuer.org/Spencer Cox