“Gay clubs gave me love and acceptance and a chance to breathe,” he says. It’s no coincidence that one of the watershed protests of the gay liberation movement took place at the Stonewall Inn, the LGBT hangout raided by New York City cops in 1969.Įnos, 28, came out when he moved to Sarasota eight years ago. Mateen didn’t just target gays and lesbians he targeted them in one of the few spaces where, for decades, gays and lesbians have felt comfortable and safe.

“It’s terrifying to everyone,” says Tim Enos in between drags on a cigarette.