The Rumos Novos – Catholic Homosexuals association has sent a “note of condolences” to the US Embassy in Lisbon, in which it said it “repulses and condemns” the attack carried out by a lone, Islamic State-sympathising gunman.
Rumos stressed in a statement that the attack caused “very deep feelings of revulsion and condemnation, pain and confusion” among its members “with this new manifestation of a murderous madness and senseless hatred.”
In the association’s opinion, “no political ideology or religion can defend a culture of death and hatred towards anyone.”
Rumos added: “You have to turn grief into an ongoing fight for the defence of the right to dignity for all homosexual people, and in vehemently condemning this and all acts of barbarity that we continually see committed against our brothers and sisters.”
In a statement on social network Facebook, the association Ilga Portugal said: “Hate crimes are always terrorist crimes, but we know well how to face them and refuse to live in fear, because we grew up with it and learned to fight against it as well as overcome it.”
Ilga has appealed for people to join the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Pride Parade to be held in Lisbon this Saturday, as well as joining in the Lisboa Pride festivities on 25 June, to honour the victims of what is being described as America’s deadliest terror attack since 9/11.
“Together we will find strength and show our pride in the fight for freedom and equality - and, yes, show our pride in us”, Ilga added.