Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, a Political Action Committee formed as the LGBTQ voice in the gun debate, welcomed five new members to its Board of Advisors. Additions include:
- Barbara Poma, businesswoman and owner of Pulse nightclub
- Billy Manes, Editor-in-Chief of LGBT magazine Watermark
- Celia Ruiz, sister of Juan Guerrero who was killed in the Pulse nighclub attack
- Siclaly “Laly” Santiago-Leon, cousin of Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon slain in the Pulse nightclub massacre
- Brandon Wolf, survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting
Orlando business owner Barbara Poma said, “I created Pulse as a safe space for the LGBT community after the death of my brother, John, died from complications from AIDS. We chose the name ‘Pulse’ to celebrate life in this safe space, and that was violated in an unimaginable way. I’m working with Pride Fund to support candidates that want to fight the gun lobby so we can reclaim our safe spaces: our night clubs, our movie theaters, our schools.”
“Enacting common sense gun policies is an issue that’s personally very important to me,” said Manes. “My husband committed suicide with a gun in front of me. I know now that 85% of suicide attempts by firearm result in death, while only 2% of suicide attempts by overdose result in loss of life,” said Manes, who brings two decades of experience as a journalist and community leader to the Board of Advisors.
“Suicide is an especially important issue in the LGBT community, where one-third of queer youth will attempt suicide. Pride Fund is supporting candidates who want to tackle the big issues at the intersection of gun control, LGBT violence, and mental health, making our communities safer for everyone.”
In addition to Poma and Manes, Celia Ruiz, sister of Juan Guerrero, and Siclaly “Laly” Santiago-Leon, cousin of Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon also joined the Pride Fund Board of Advisors. Both Guerrero and Wilson-Leon lost their lives on June 12 when a gunman stormed Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others.
Manes, Poma, Ruiz and Santiago-Leon are joined by Brandon Wolf, who escaped Pulse during the shooting. Wolf had gone dancing with his friends Guerrero and Christopher “Drew” Leinonen, who was also killed. Leinonen’s mother, Christine Leinonen, joined the Pride Fund’s Board of Advisors in July. Orlando City Commissioner and LGBTQ champion Patty Sheehan also joined the Board in July.
“We won’t let politicians use tragedies like the Pulse shooting for their personal gain, and then turn around and deny basic protections to the LGBT community,” said Wolf. “We will take this fight to Congress, and we’ll start by supporting candidates that represent the true interests of the American public: equality and freedom--the freedom to live their lives without living in daily fear.”
JOIN THE MOVEMENT, SPREAD THE WORD AND DONATE TO THE CAUSE BY VISITING WWW.PRIDEFUND.ORG. HELP US END THIS CYCLE OF SENSELESS GUN VIOLENCE.