Working Toward Gun Violence Prevention During Pride Month—and Year-Round

My name is Amanda Goldsmith, and I am a gun violence survivor.

One of my experiences with gun violence was when I was 17 years old. I rejected a 22-year-old man’s advances, telling him I had a girlfriend and was preparing for my senior prom and graduation. 

Over a series of a few short weeks, the man stalked me. One day, he followed me to my family home and shot me in the back as I tried to get away. When he tried to shoot me again, the gun jammed. He fled; I flatlined in the emergency room and survived after 12 hours of surgery. 

In the years that followed, I struggled to find services and healthcare providers that understood how to treat me. I had to become my own advocate and research the best way to heal from such a traumatic experience. 

I went back to school and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrative Medicine. Now, I am studying Public Administration and Public Health. I use this education in combination with my lived experience to advocate for the public health and safety of communities throughout America.

I am now also a parent of three. I’ve seen firsthand how our youth are being affected by the gun violence crisis in this country. Active shooter drills—and emergencies—induce trauma and anxiety in my children and their classmates. Gun violence within intimate partner or dating dynamics like I experienced also affects our youth and communities but is so often not discussed. 

“During Pride Month, I am particularly reminded of the importance of gun violence prevention awareness—and that includes talking about the violence against our LGBTQ+ communities and why it is so important to stop it.”

—Amanda Goldsmith, a 2024 Everytown Survivor Fellow

I am an LGBTQ+ person who was born and raised in Central Florida, and I lived in Orlando for a few years with a partner. Because of my background, the 2016 hate-motivated mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub—on Latin Night, during Pride Month—was particularly close to home. I have dear friends and loved ones in Orlando, and I’ve been to the Pulse facility on multiple occasions. Some that I know lost their loved ones that night. Gun violence and hate crimes disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and LGBTQ+ youth communities. The Pulse shooting was a devastating reminder of the grief that hate-fueled gun violence causes communities. 

My voice for the gun violence prevention movement comes from my experiences as a survivor, as a parent, and from the love I have for the people in my LGBTQ+ community. As an adolescent, I considered myself bisexual. I knew I could love both male- and female-presenting individuals. As an adult, I have realized that I love people for who they are, regardless of sex or gender identity. This means a lot to me because I see how fluid love can be, and I want to support my children, who have also come out to me as they have grown into beings who are safe in being their authentic selves in this life. My children are my biggest motivation: I want to make a better world for them than the one I grew up in. 

During Pride Month, I am particularly reminded of the importance of gun violence prevention awareness—and that includes talking about the violence against our LGBTQ+ communities and why it is so important to stop it. I choose to take the fear, pain, and rage I have inside of me to advocate for ending gun violence and for creating safer communities for us all. 

“Members of the LGBTQ+ community are not a threat to be feared, but a blessing to be cherished.”

—Amanda Goldsmith, a 2024 Everytown Survivor Fellow 

In my community, I work as the local survivor membership co-lead of my Moms Demand Action chapter. I am also an Everytown Survivor Fellow. I first joined the Everytown Survivor Network and Moms Demand Action because I saw the benefits of connecting with a community that understood what it feels like to be a gun violence survivor. I have stayed in the movement because I feel supported and encouraged for who I am and what I have been through. 

I have met some amazing survivors in this community, and they are some of my biggest motivations to continue in this work. The resources, support, and collective desire to improve our well-being that gun violence survivors share have ignited a passion in me. I want to make sure that no survivor is ever alone in their healing journey—as I once felt in mine. 

Our collective efforts don’t always result in immediate wins, but it is gratifying to see the impact that our work can have. Thanks to our tireless advocacy, Florida recently allocated $2.5 million toward community violence intervention and grant funding across the state. Additionally, we have been celebrating a federal district court’s ruling on a Florida case that protected proper health care for our LGBTQ+ youth and community.

“My voice for the gun violence prevention movement comes from my experiences as a survivor, as a parent, and from the love I have for the people in my LGBTQ+ community.”

—Amanda Goldsmith, a 2024 Everytown Survivor Fellow 

I celebrate Pride Month by sharing truth and visibility for myself, my children, and the LGBTQ+ community. I attend parades and events as my schedule allows. I also share and support local organizations that reach out to the LGBTQ+ community. In June and year-round, I share my story to educate people about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and put a face to the personal impact that hate-fueled violence and discrimination have. I also remind people that LGBTQ+ identities are not “new.” Indigenous cultures and ancient civilizations have long cherished the Two-Spirit and transgender individuals in their communities. In many cultures, these identities were considered sacred and holy for embodying their authenticity.

We all deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and love. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are not a threat to be feared, but a blessing to be cherished. If you see any violence or microaggressions against the LGBTQ+ community—or any other community—please speak up and put a stop to those harms. We can all become more involved and add to the collective that wants a better future for us, our children, and their children. 

If you or someone you know has been injured or threatened with a firearm or had a loved one taken by gun violence, and you are in need of services and community to help you through the pain and guide you through putting it into action to make a change, I highly encourage you to text SURVIVOR to 644-33 to find resources near you. If you or someone you know is in crisis, text or call 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for 24/7 connection to free, confidential support. If you have immediate safety concerns, call 911 for emergency assistance. 

Help is available and we want to see LGBTQ+ community members well, happy, and whole in their authentic selves. 

Join Us

Join your local Moms Demand Action chapter. 

Learn more about the Everytown Survivor Network. 

Learn more about the impact of gun violence on the LGBTQ+ community.

Join the Moms Demand Action LGBTQ+ Caucus affinity group.