Gov. Rick Scott Honored Pulse But Never Mentioned LGBT People

Florida Gov. Rick Scott invoked the Pulse massacre in his annual State of the State address Tuesday but never used the terms “LGBT,” “LGBTQ” or “Latinx” to describe victims of the mass shooting, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Equality Florida quickly called out the oversight.

“While we are glad the governor spotlighted the Pulse tragedy, we are deeply disappointed that when talking about the worst anti-LGBTQ attack in our nation’s history, our governor failed to acknowledge the LGBTQ community in any way,” said Equality Florida public policy director Hannah Willard in a statement. “Governor Scott spoke about the horror our state experienced in the wake of the attack, the heroism of Orlando’s first responders, and the pain of families who lost loved ones. What we didn't hear was any mention of the LGBTQ community targeted in this murderous rampage, which occurred on Latin night.”

Scott, a close ally of President Trump, is the likely Republican challenging Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in next year’s U.S. Senate race. The governor described the attack as terrorism, erasing the queer or racial implications.

Scott recalled the days in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting, which he said would “always be with me.” But he focused concern on the threat of terrorism, labeling shooter Omar Mateen, who was killed by law enforcement at the scene, a “terrorist inspired by ISIS.” He also proposed budgeting $5.8 billion for counterterrorism efforts, citing the attack. Scott never referenced the attack as a hate crime or an assault on the LGBT or Latinx community. He appeared to acknowledge at least one same-sex relationship, referencing a recovering victim who had been protected for a time from news of his partner’s death.

Willard suggested that rather than counterterrorism funding, the true way to honor victims would be to pass legislation outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation or sexual identity. “We urge Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature to honor those killed in Orlando with action by ensuring that LGBTQ Floridians are treated fairly and equally under the laws of our state,” she wrote. “The Florida Competitive Workforce Act (HB 623/SB 666), a bipartisan bill that already has 38 Republican and Democrat cosponsors in the House and Senate, would simply add sexual orientation and gender identity to Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, ensuring that all LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public spaces.”

Scott’s full speech can be found online. The Pulse remarks from the State of the State address are below: