HRC leaders in Texas and Ohio gave these responses:

Rebecca Marquez, HRC Texas State Director: “Team HRC Texas is horrified by the violence and tragic loss in our community last night. Texans and all Americans deserve so much more. We need our legislators to take action. We need commonsense gun violence prevention now.”

Shawn Copeland, HRC Ohio State Director: “The entire HRC Ohio team is mourning Dayton and the families and loved ones of those who were murdered today in the second mass shooting in 24 hours. Leaders in Ohio and across the nation must act NOW with commonsense gun violence prevention legislation.”

This tragedy comes more than three years since 49 lives — most of them Latinx — were taken in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. 

HRC backs commonsense gun violence prevention policy measures and policies aimed at addressing the epidemic of hate that has fueled anti-LGBTQ-motivated murder, assault, and discrimination. For decades, LGBTQ people have been a target for bias-motivated violence, and easy access to deadly weapons has compounded this threat. Common-sense gun violence prevention measures endorsed by HRC include banning access to assault-style rifles, expanding background checks, and limiting the ability for suspected terrorists and those with a history of domestic abuse to access guns.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 33,000 gun deathshappen every year.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

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