
<p>President Joe Biden has announced that he will designate Pulse nightclub, where 49 people died in a mass shooting five years ago, a national memorial, as he again called on Congress to pass gun control legislation.</p>



<p>In Orlando, Florida, a gunman opened fire, killing 49 and leaving 53 wounded at the LGBTQ nightclub in 2016.</p>



<p>The shooter, Omar Mateen, 29, held police at bay for hours until they stormed the building and killed him.</p>



<p>In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis called the shooting &#8220;one of the darkest days in our state&#8217;s history,&#8221; and declared June 12 Pulse Remembrance Day.</p>



<p>Biden pushed for the Senate to take up House-passed legislation to close loopholes to background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, establish &#8220;red flag&#8221; laws and eliminate gun manufacturers’ liability immunity. He also said the nation must acknowledge the impact of gun violence on the LGBTQ community.</p>



<p>&#8220;We must drive out hate and inequities that contribute to the epidemic of violence and murder against transgender women – especially transgender women of color,&#8221; the President said.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-addition-to-designating-pulse-nightclub-a-national-memorial-biden-also-called-on-the-senate-to-pass-the-equality-act">In addition to designating Pulse nightclub a national memorial, Biden also called on the Senate to pass the Equality Act.</h4>



<p>This would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Biden said he’d kept in touch with the families that lost loved ones in the Pulse shooting.</p>



<p>He said they &#8220;remind us that we must do more than remember victims of gun violence and all of the survivors, family members, and friends left behind; we must act.&#8221;</p>



<p>On Friday, June 11, domestic policy advisor Susan Rice and senior advisor Cedric Richmond hosted a virtual roundtable with LGBTQ+ leaders, gun violence survivors, and gun control advocates. The next day, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff dropped in to join the Capital Pride walk.</p>



<p>&#8220;We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected. We need, still, protections around employment and housing,&#8221; Harris said. &#8220;There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.&#8221;</p>

Biden Declares Gay Nightclub a National Memorial
