Birds!

.Hey guys,

So those of you that follow me already know that this is mostly a #discourse blog where I talk about Jewish and South Asian culture along with general Social Justice issues. I don’t normally do fundraising campaigns or anything like that, because usually I feel like it’s better to support/share what others have already posted. However, I’ve just had this idea, and I’d like to try using my follower count to do something positive, so here goes…

This Monday—June 12th, 2017—will be the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting—a deadly attack that claimed 49 lives, the majority of victims belonging to the LGBT Latinx community. 

June 12th also happens to be my birthday. 

I was really too horrified to focus on the birthday element last year, and I know I’m going to be fairly heartsick over the anniversary when the date comes around again. I know what happened had nothing to do with me, but my brain engages in weird magical thinking patterns sometimes, and I can’t help but to feel I have a special responsibility to commemorate the 49 lives that were lost in this abominable tragedy. 

So here’s what I want to do:

I would like to ask everybody who’s financially able to help me celebrate my birthday this year by making a donation of $4.90 (or more!) to the The 49 Fund at Central Florida Foundation—a special scholarship fund for LGBT students in Central Florida that has been created to memorialize those 49 people who lost their lives at Pulse last year. 

The link to donate is here, along with more information about the 49 Fund and CFF. 

I don’t need these donations in my name or anything like that (I’d really rather they weren’t, actually); I’d just love for people to share this and give whatever they can so that I can do my part to commemorate the victims of last year’s tragedy. If I can use my birthday as a tool to help raise money for this awesome cause, it will mean the world to me.