Issued June 14, 2016
Statement from SEIU President Mary Kay Henry:
Our hearts are heavy once again, as we mourn the horrific loss of life in Orlando at the hands of hate, intolerance, and senseless gun violence. The SEIU family extends our hearts and our hands to our LGBTQ family, the community in Orlando and to the friends and families of all those who have been lost in this tragedy.
We are reminded that the LGBTQ community has long been the target of hate and violence in their fight for freedom to love. In the past year alone, African Americans in a church, healthcare workers in a women's health clinic, and our union's members attending a holiday party have lost their lives. We must all stand united against all forms of hatred and violence.
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in labor and in the progressive community to help communities across this country heal and recover. Together, we demand that our nation does everything to ensure that no more families have to feel this pain, sadness and loss ever again. It’s long past time for our nation to do something about gun violence in our communities. SEIU renews the commitment of our 2 million members to use every ounce of our energy to unite and fight to end this senseless gun violence and build a better future for all families.