UNION, NJ — Nearly a year ago, Union resident Faith Cardillo had a vision.
They – which, as pronouns are important to the LGBTQIA+, is how Cardillo wants to be referred – had been advocating against gun violence for two years; and into political activism since the age of 13. Cardillo founded Bulletproof Pride as a means to end gun violence within all communities, while highlighting the voices of LGBTQIA+ individuals who are directly impacted by gun violence. Serving as Bulletproof Pride’s Impact Network Lead, they hope to provide more representation of asexuality in a leadership role for the next generation.
It all began with the March for Our Lives organization, which followed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting a month earlier on Feb. 14, 2018. Cardillo went to their first protest for March for Our Lives in Newark and started doing social media activism.
In 2020, Union High School, where Cardillo attended, underwent a lockdown in which a firearm was believed to be in the building. Cardillo was a freshman at that time and, after the incident, started getting more and more involved.
They said, “Having two younger nephews, one was just starting elementary school… Seeing kids my nephew’s age getting killed by gun violence…”
Cardillo then rounded up friends they’ve made from organizations they’ve been a part of over the years. “All come from a bunch of different places that impact all of us,” they said.
On Nov. 19-20, 2022, an anti-LGBT-motivated mass shooting occurred at Club Q – a gay bar in Colorado Springs. Five people were murdered and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. Cardillo pulled together resources and shares on Instagram a Go Fund Me for the survivors.
“We try to spread awareness (on) how to directly fund families dealing with tragedies,” they said. “More on humanitarian aspects. That’s what stands out about us.”
Bulletproof Pride is open to having volunteers of all ages and of all identities – or an ally. “We tailor our projects to what volunteers are interested in,” said Cardillo.
Team descriptions include the Impact Network, which collaborates with gun violence survivors to learn their stories, supporting and uplifting their voices; conducting research on the impact of gun violence on the LGBTQIA+ community and providing the information for Bulletproof Pride’s educational campaigns; marketing and social media; finances, which work on engaging fundraising efforts, grant applications and helping Bulletproof Pride become an official nonprofit; and more.
Cardillo said, “We also have a newsletter for those who want to keep up to date without getting directly involved. We are on almost all social media websites.”
Bulletproof Pride is a (501c4) nonprofit founded to end gun violence for all people and identities through the lens of the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about Bulletproof Pride, visit: https://bulletproofpride.org/.
Photos Courtesy of Bulletproof Pride