Brandon Wolf’s life changed forever on June 12, 2016 when a gunman opened fire in Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Wolf narrowly escaped, but two of his best friends were among the 49 victims of America’s second deadliest mass shooting. The attack has been called an act of terrorism against the LGBTQ community.
After channeling his life into fighting for a safer world, Wolf is now a nationally recognized LGBTQ civil rights advocate and leader in the movement to end gun violence. He shared his story at the 2025 Ida B. Wells lecture, Violence: An American Tradition? on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Mitchell Hall, University of Delaware.