As people around the country prepared to honor the lives of their friends and loved ones for the day of remembrance, those in Colorado Springs, Colorado were united in community. The weekend, already bursting with exaltations of life and moments of deep mourning, was met with violence, despite loud music and flashing lights at the club. A man opened fire in a club, killing five people and injuring 25 others before being subdued by other patrons, one more in a long list of mass shootings in the United States.
It was a blow to the young and old of the gay community, after a year of legislative attacks on trans youth and inclusive curriculum and several devastating mass shootings.
Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, wrote that there were no words that could change the horror that continues to devastate our communities. Due to gun violence, mass shootings, and the general disrespect for our human condition, our safe spaces have become places of grief, trauma, and sorrow. One more life should not be lost.
Many are turning to the internet for support and are looking for ways to stand together.
The Colorado Springs LGBTQ community and those directly affected by the act of violence are the focus of the hub created by GoFundMe.
The "Support for the Club Q Families and Survivors" campaign has reached more than half a million dollars to cover the funeral and medical expenses of Club Q patrons. To honor the victims of the Colorado Springs shooting, a Los Angeles-based arts nonprofit called Classroom of Compassion is holding a verified fundraiser.
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The hub will be updated.
The Colorado Healing Fund, which was established by victim advocates and community leaders to support those impacted by what they call "mass cruelty crimes" in the state of Colorado, has been reactivated. The fund is open again to raise money for the victims of the Club Q shooting.
The CEO of the organization that supports the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (Lutheran) community in Colorado Springs wrote a letter of mourning. "America's toxic mix of bigotry and absurdly easy access to firearms means that such events are all too common and the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable populations pay the price again and again for our political leadership's failure to act."
According to the FBI's 2020 Hate Crime Statistics, 20% of reported attacks were motivated by anti-gay bias.
There have been attempts to intimidate attendees at the Idaho Pride event and Drag Queen Storytime in California. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there is an epidemic of violence against trans and gender non conforming people in the US.
The rate of gun violence has increased. The rate of gun deaths in Colorado increased by 41 percent from 2011 to 2020 compared to a 33 percent increase nationwide.
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People suffer whenIgnorance is weaponized to be Hate. The executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition said in a statement to the press that hate-filled people can cause harm if they are not supported by their communities. It will continue until we collectively do better.
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