Realities of Anti-LGBTQ+ Violence Take Center Stage at House Hearing
In the final hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform helmed by outgoing chair New York U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney on Wednesday, lawmakers heard powerful testimony about the increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and hate across America.Michael Anderson survived the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.
He spoke poignantly in front of the committee about a deranged shooter using military-style weapons to "hunt down" human beings. "When I stared down the barrel of that gun, I realized I stood no chance against a weapon of that power, magazine capacity, and seemingly automatic firing rate," he told lawmakers. "I saw my friend lying on the floor bleeding out, knowing there was little to no chance of surviving that bullet wound.
I had to tell him goodbye while I continued to fear for my life, not knowing if the attack was truly over."He described still hearing the sounds of bullets firing around him to this day."It's a sound I may never forget.
It's a sound I hope no one here or anywhere else in this country has to hear."Anderson voiced his frustration with GOP lawmakers' disingenuous arguments and the perpetuation of anti-LGBTQ+ hatred through language."To the politicians and activists who accuse LGBTQ people of grooming children and being abusers, shame on you.
