A man who survived the 2016 shooting at
an Orlando nightclub says he is no longer
gay.
Luis Javier Ruiz said in an interview
recently with the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association’s “GPS: God.
People. Stories” that he repented and was
changed after the shooting.
Ruiz said he was raised in the church
before churches knew how to minister to
homosexuals. Instead, he kept his secret
until finally coming out to his family at
the end of high school.
He says his family was listening to the
radio where someone was saying
homosexuals were “an abomination” and
were “going to hell.”
"It was bad," Ruiz said. "And we got into
an argument about it ... and I just ended
it with 'Mom, you know what? Your son is
gay. How about that?"
Ruiz graduated from high school and
joined the armed forces where he served
for 15 years. He did not reveal his
sexuality to the military. After his service,
he moved to Florida and became involved
with a church. However, he also became
part of the Orlando LGBT community.
On June 11, 2016, his birthday, he went
with friends to the Pulse nightclub in
Orlando. Early June 12, the shooting
started.
The shooter, Omar Mateen, killed 49
people that night. Mateen was shot and
killed by police.
"While this is all going on, I'm thinking
'I'm about to die, I'm about to go to Hell.
Like, why did I even come [to Pulse],'"
Ruiz said of that night.
Ruiz says he was depressed after the
shooting and became even more
depressed after he learned he was HIV-
positive.
He says, however, God spoke to him and
he prayed to God.
“I even said: 'I'm gay, God. This is how
you're taking me. Take me as I am. I don't
know if you're supposed to take this away
from me or not. I've tried this many
times,’” he said.
"I gave Him my gayness. I gave him my
pornography addictions, everything," he
said.
He said the Holy Spirit asked him, "How
about you give me you?”
"It's not a gay to straight thing. Just give
[Him] your heart," Ruiz said.
"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 [people] and who transforms."
an Orlando nightclub says he is no longer
gay.
Luis Javier Ruiz said in an interview
recently with the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association’s “GPS: God.
People. Stories” that he repented and was
changed after the shooting.
Ruiz said he was raised in the church
before churches knew how to minister to
homosexuals. Instead, he kept his secret
until finally coming out to his family at
the end of high school.
He says his family was listening to the
radio where someone was saying
homosexuals were “an abomination” and
were “going to hell.”
"It was bad," Ruiz said. "And we got into
an argument about it ... and I just ended
it with 'Mom, you know what? Your son is
gay. How about that?"
Ruiz graduated from high school and
joined the armed forces where he served
for 15 years. He did not reveal his
sexuality to the military. After his service,
he moved to Florida and became involved
with a church. However, he also became
part of the Orlando LGBT community.
On June 11, 2016, his birthday, he went
with friends to the Pulse nightclub in
Orlando. Early June 12, the shooting
started.
The shooter, Omar Mateen, killed 49
people that night. Mateen was shot and
killed by police.
"While this is all going on, I'm thinking
'I'm about to die, I'm about to go to Hell.
Like, why did I even come [to Pulse],'"
Ruiz said of that night.
Ruiz says he was depressed after the
shooting and became even more
depressed after he learned he was HIV-
positive.
He says, however, God spoke to him and
he prayed to God.
“I even said: 'I'm gay, God. This is how
you're taking me. Take me as I am. I don't
know if you're supposed to take this away
from me or not. I've tried this many
times,’” he said.
"I gave Him my gayness. I gave him my
pornography addictions, everything," he
said.
He said the Holy Spirit asked him, "How
about you give me you?”
"It's not a gay to straight thing. Just give
[Him] your heart," Ruiz said.
"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 [people] and who transforms."
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