Orlando shooting, a survivor: «I’ll leave homosexuality»

On June 2016, at least 50 persons lost their lives inside the gay club Pulse in Orlando. Although the “homophobic” defensors of the family – among whom Pope Francis – were immediately indicated as the moral instigators, in the following horse it emerged that the terrorist, Omar Mateen, was a renowned gay and a regular at the Pulse, angry at how he «felt used» in that club.

Following the tragedy, one of the homosexual survivors, Angel Colón, announced a radical life change, by going back to attending the parish where he used to sing in the choir.

A short time ago, another survivor of the Orlando shooting made an even more shocking announcement. He has matured the conviction that God drew a greater good from the evil of that night, a repentance overwhelming his life as he had lived it until then. In an interview, Luis Javier Ruiz recounted, indeed, his leaving homosexuality, after 30 years of Lgbt life.

He had come out during his high school, on his mother’s birthday. They were listening to a radio programme in which a preacher lashing out against gays by saying that they are an “abomination” and “doomed to hell”. It was so bad an experience for Luis Javier, who, by reaction, found the courage to look at his mother and say: “You know what? Your son is gay”.

He broke relations with his parents and moved to Florida by immerging himself in the gay lifestyile: drugs, compulsive sexual behaviour, excesses, and parties. This kind of lifestyle emerged in Italy, too, on occasion of the murder of Luca Varani. Until the 11th of June 2016, when, on the birthday of a friend of his’, they went to the Pulse. The very night of the shooting that killed many lives. He was wounded, whilst many friends of his’ died.

Like the other survivors, he underwent the AIDS test, and it was positive. That was the last straw, which almost led him to suicide, but he stopped in time to reflect on how he was leading his life. «I was sick, depressed and hurting» – he recounted. Prayer to God arose naturally, a request for deliverance. For this reason, he offered everything, including his homosexuality: «I’m gay, God» – he said praying. «This is how you’re taking me. Take me as I am». Today he remembers: «I gave Him my gayness. I gave him my pornography addictions, everything». With this renewed awareness of being a child of God, his life was slowly reborn.

Today, after two years, Ruiz is a member of the Freedom Marches community, composed of people like him, who left lesbianism, homosexuality, and transgenderism and are committed to witness this possible change by travelling through America. Yes we can, he repeats, quoting Barack Obama’s motto. «Yes, you can come out of homosexuality. You can be free from porn addiction. From anything» – he said announcing a way out, a happier one. Free from sin: «God calls us to purity» – states Ruiz.

«I should have been the 50th person killed» – he concluded: «But God had something else for me. And I’m thankful because now I’m able to share my story of hope, my story to the world, to let them know that there is God who changes and can transform».

The Editorial staff