Mother of Pulse victim: I don’t know how anyone can vote for Trump
Christine Leinonen urges voting for Hillary Clinton in HRC ad
Christine Leinonen is pleading with anybody who supports the LGBT community: Please vote for Hillary Clinton for president.
“If you love a gay person, if you know someone who’s gay, and you truly really love them, I don’t know how you could justify a vote for Donald Trump,” the mother of Pulse nightclub shooting victim Christopher “Drew” Leinonen says in a video for the Human Rights Campaign.
Leinonen became the face of the families of the Pulse victims after she was interviewed by ABC, in tears, waiting for news of whether her son was alive or injured as investigators and emergency responders combed through the nightclub.
Since the shooting, she has become an advocate for greater restrictions on guns, appearing at rallies by gun safety advocates.
Leinonen also spoke in support of Clinton at the Democratic National Convention because of Clinton’s support for gun safety measures, in addition to LGBT rights.
“He had the kind of personality that brought people together — all people,” Leinonen says of her son. “And that’s why he supported Hillary Clinton. He was impressed with her as a leader. She wants to bring everybody to the table.” She also implores voters to “give Christopher a voice” by casting their vote for Hillary Clinton in his memory.
“This heartbreaking plea from Christopher’s mother is a sobering reminder of the responsibility we have to the 49 LGBTQ people and allies who lost their lives in Orlando that tragic night at the Pulse nightclub,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to not only find commonsense solutions to gun violence, but to ensure we continue moving forward as a nation towards full equality for LGBTQ people.
“While Donald Trump threatens to drag us backwards, time and again Hillary Clinton has demonstrated through her words and actions that she has the vision and leadership to unite us and move this country forward.”
Watch Leinonen’s ad below:
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