The shooting that left 49 people dead and 53 people injured at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida shined an international spotlight on the violent oppression of LGBTQ+ people. The significant loss of human life, the complex intersections of identity, and the horrific details of the crime brought numerous issues affecting the lives of LGBTQ+ people into public discourse. This essay contextualizes the narratives surrounding Pulse with a political economic analysis of the massacre, its antecedents, and its aftermaths. Advancing an anthropological perspective, I position the Pulse massacre at the nexus of militarism, neoliberalism, and multiculturalism and offer a critical lens for understanding the policies, practices, and processes imbricated in shooting. Broadly, this involves addressing issues of U.S. capitalist imperialism in the Middle East, neocolonialism in Puerto Rico, and diversity/inclusion in gay space.
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