For the record, I never condone violence against one's political and/or social foes. Therefore, I condemn the violence at the offices of Family Research Council ("FRC") earlier today. That said, there is no small degree of irony in FRC, which daily fans the flames of anti-gay hatred through the dissemination of knowingly false and derogatory information against LGBT individuals, today found itself on the receiving end of the type of hate and violence that it seeks to generate as its main stock in trade. It's unfortunate that a lone shooter shot a security guard - thankfully, the wounds were minor - as he sought to access the FRC offices. The shooter's motive and intended actions remain unknown. And may never be fully known.
Even more unfortunate is the fact that the shooter was a volunteer at a local Washington, D.C., LGBT center - a fact that will give the Christofascist a reason to blame "gay extremists" for the shooting. Never mind that we never hear a peep of condemnation out of FRC and its fellow registered hate groups when LGBT citizens are beaten or killed by homophobic perpetrators.
Disturbingly, and as has been the case in other recent shooting incidents, the gun used in today's attack was purchased legally five days ago in Virginia. Of course, in Virginia under the newly passed laws this past session by the GOP controlled Virginia General Assembly, a chimpanzee could purchase a gun so long as it had no criminal record (assuming a background check is even done). Here are highlights from The Advocate on today's unfortunate events:
A security guard at the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group that promotes antigay positions, was shot Wednesday morning as a gunman who reportedly expressed disagreement with the organization's views tried to enter the building.
The shooter walked into the lobby in the 800 block of G Street in the Chinatown neighborhood around 10:45 a.m., and was confronted by the guard, who was shot in the arm, the Washington Post reports. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier provided the information to the Post, saying the guard and others wrestled the man to the ground and waited for police to arrive.
[T]he suspect, identified by the Associated Press as 28-year-old Floyd Corkins, has been taken into FBI custody, where Fox News reports that a source said the shooter "made statements regarding their policies, and then opened fire.” Authorities are treating the incident as a “case of domestic terrorism,” the conservative news network reported, but according to the Associated Press, charges have not yet been filed.
The Associated Press reports that Corkins was a volunteer at The DC Center for the LGBT Community and was described by surprised coworkers as "gentle" and "kind." David Mariner, the center's executive director, expressed dismay at the news in a statement.
Fox News linked the incident to the Chick-fil-A controversy, reporting that "sources also said the gunman may have been carrying a bag from Chick-fil-A." The Georgia-based fast food restaurant has been criticized for statements and financial contributions owner Dan Cathy has made against marriage equality. FRC president Tony Perkins has been a staunch defender of Cathy.
Gay advocacy organizations quickly denounced the violence and expressed support for the victim in a joint statement from more than 20 national and state organizations. "We were saddened to hear news of the shooting this morning at the offices of the Family Research Council," they said. "Our hearts go out to the shooting victim, his family, and his co-workers.
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