Brandon survived mass shooting: Now he has an important message to the Danes
Brandon Wolf survived one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States when an armed man killed 49 people at a nightclub. Now he's fighting to make the world a better place with room for everybody. And as Danes, we can also make difference – and workplaces are obvious places to start, he believes.
Brandon Wolf
- American civil rights activist
- Brandon became the first survivor of the Pulse tragedy to testify before Congress
- Works as press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ organisation in the United States
49 killed and 53 wounded
And what Brandon Wolf had just experienced was the attack on Pulse, a nightclub most frequented by homosexuals, on 12 June 2016 in Orlando, Florida. The attack is one of the deadliest in US history. The perpetrator opened fire, wounded 53 and killed 49, including Brandon Wolff's best friend Drew and Drew's boyfriend Juan. What he himself describes as his family of choice.
And even though it's a hard story to tell, it's important for Brandon Wolf to tell it.
“If no one told the story of Drew and Juan, they would forever just be names without a face on a wall somewhere. They would just be two more on America’s long list of victims of gun violence,” he says, adding:
“It’s also important for me to tell people why Pulse meant something before the shooting took place so that people understand the importance of what we lost that day.”
Because as a black, queer man from a small town near Portland in Oregon with no more traffic lights than can be counted on the fingers of one hand and more cows and sheep than inhabitants, Brandon Wolf was looking for a place to belong throughout his childhood and adolescence. A place where he didn’t feel like a stranger and constantly had to restrain himself so that he wouldn't stand out from the crowd.
He found that when he moved to Orlando, one of the places being Pulse nightclub.
“It was one of the first places I ever held hands with someone I was in love with without looking over my shoulder first. It was one of the first places where I dared to wear my tightest jeans or hot pants without being afraid of what someone might call me. Pulse was just that to so many people. It was all about security. A sense of belonging. Normality,” he explains.
Do something in your workplace
Everything changed that night in June in 2016. And it was the starting point of Brandon Wolf’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ movement and the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ measures introduced by the US government.
But what does this have to do with us in Denmark, you might think. Quite a lot, says Brandon Wolf. Because there's actually something you can do. And the important thing is not to give up on the fight for equality. Because even though, on the face of it, Denmark seems like a peaceful oasis in a world of conflict, there is still much to do, Brandon Wolf insists.
“The truth is, as long as there’s just one couple who doesn’t feel safe holding hands in a certain neighbourhood, there’s still work to be done. As long as there’s just one child in a provincial town wondering if they’ll ever get a chance to feel normal, there’s work to be done,” he says.
And part of that work can be done at the workplaces, he explains.
First of all, he calls for participation in the ERG groups found at many workplaces.
“Be part of that conversation because it allows LGBTQ+ people to share their stories, to share the challenges they face, which may be unique and hopefully will help change company policies.”
In addition, you can make sure to be an active ally every day.
“We can be the office where you can be yourself. We can be the manager or colleague celebrating the authenticity of others to allow them to bring all their creativity and productivity to work. We can be a safe place where people are able to talk about their partners and bring their life experience to the table," says Brandon Wolf.
And he, moreover, encourages people to be what he calls “courageously curious.” It's easy to be curious about things you already know about, he says.
“I’m always curious about new ice cream flavours because I love ice cream already. It’s hard to be curious about things you’re not sure about, which leave you with more questions than answers, challenging your preconceived notions of how the world is connected – these are the things we have to dare to be courageously curious about.”
Companies can do something too, Brandon Wolf claims.
“People spend a lot of time at work. And imagine how challenging it is to spend so much time at a workplace if you constantly have to think about what you have to hide in yourself to keep your job, be promoted or prevent your career from being interrupted,” he says.
And it’s not enough just to join the Pride parade and change your logo to rainbow colours, he states.
“Companies can support their employees by having policies on inclusion – and then stand by them and give them real meaning. Even when political winds are shifting, and even when the most powerful person in the world is shouting for withdrawal of diversity efforts, we must stick to our values. It sends a signal to employees that this is serious and that they will be safe and respected in the workplace,” he says.
The Pulse shooting
- The shooting is one of the deadliest in US history.
- 49 were killed and 53 wounded
- During the attack, the gunman held several hostages before he himself was shot.
- In a phone call with the police before he was shot, the gunman said he supported Islamic State.
The promise to Drew
For Brandon Wolf himself, the battle began at Drew's funeral six days after the attack.
In the car on his way to church, his hands shake so violently that he can barely hold on to the pen while trying to write the final words of a commemorative speech to Drew.
He is among the people carrying the coffin out of the church, and as he walks down the aisle, he desperately holds on to the handle because he won’t let go of his best friend until he has found the right words of goodbye.
Right before they step out of the church, he therefore makes a promise to Drew.
“I promised him that I would never stop fighting for a world he would be proud of,” he says, emphasising that, in reality, it’s not about Drew at all.
“Because a world he would be proud of is a world for everyone. It's a world where every young person knows that they are loved, appreciated and accepted. It is a world where every human being is treated with dignity and respect. Where every family gets a chance to fight. This is a world that is not just possible – I believe it is inevitable. It will require us to fight together. We must not give up on each other. We must not give up on the fight for equality.