Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, a professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, was principal investigator of the first U.S. longitudinal study of health and well-being of LGBTQ midlife and older adults.

Her opinion-editorial discusses the impact and aftermath of the June 2016 nightclub shooting in an Orlando, Florida, gay bar, which left 49 people dead.  

"Orlando tells us that LGBTQ individuals, though perceived — and sometimes targeted — as the “other,” represent the ordinary yet profound aspirations for community and connection that we all share," she writes.