AS a stand against homophobia and in response to the recent killings at a gay nightclub in Orlando, people have flooded social media with images of two men kissing.
Over the weekend Omar Mateen shot and murdered 49 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in an act that has shocked the LGBTI community around the world.
This prompted people around the world to post images on social media in defiance, using the hashtag #TwoMenKissing.
If #twoMenKissing was the #Orlando shooter's motive, then let this be every hater's conditioning therapy. pic.twitter.com/OG52gCA20Z
— Theo Bleckmann (@Theo_Bleckmann) June 13, 2016
#TwoMenKissing because #LoveIsLove pic.twitter.com/zws9iJvEUp
— Thaddeus Maximus (@thadnelson) June 14, 2016
"Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that"❤️ #TwoMenKissing pic.twitter.com/J2J4tG9ccc
— Mark Raimondo (@MarkkRaimondo) June 13, 2016
#twomenkissing because idgaf if my identity offends you. Still killing us. I'm still here. pic.twitter.com/90hOTZcZVo
— Khris (@khristyvn) June 13, 2016
Many posted the images while condemning violence against the LGBTI community, saying that same-sex love is something that should be celebrated, not hated.
Seeing #TwoMenKissing should never be an excuse for violence or bigotry. It should warm our romantic hearts :-) pic.twitter.com/xrthrK3vyk
— Stephen Wood (@StephenWood_UK) June 13, 2016
If #TwoMenKissing is now an act of defiance, activism has never been so pleasant pic.twitter.com/BDOz9mYwhI
— Wouter S van Dijke (@WoutervD) June 13, 2016
Love will always triumph over hate.
Prayers for Orlando.#TwoMenKissing pic.twitter.com/9NKQT33ETP— Alexander Nedd (@alexnedd2) June 13, 2016
Around the world communities have mourned the tragic mass shooting, with memorials being held in major cities like London and San Francisco.
“LGBTI people are scared… I’ve had numerous friends email me and share how unsafe they feel at the moment,” Australia Equality Party leader Jason Tuazon-McCheyne said.
“I am bracing myself for the plebiscite and how hard that will be, but I am more worried about our son and other kids in LGBTI parented families who will be exposed to an environment that may cause massive harm.”
Other hashtags like #TwoWomenKissing, #LoveIsLove, and #LoveWins have also been shared widely on social media since the shooting.
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