John,
I woke up today to the news of another mass shooting, this time at a gay club in Colorado Springs. Five people were shot and killed and 25 others injured at Club Q before two heroic patrons could stop the shooter from wreaking even more havoc. In merely a few minutes, the LGBTQ+ community of Colorado Springs, and this safe space for so many, was changed forever. I felt the pain of every other queer person who would read these headlines and every other person who would wonder how we could keep waking up like this.
Yesterday’s tragedy is a devastating reminder that the same places we call safe havens can become targets for deadly, hateful violence because of America’s gun violence epidemic. Six years ago, another refuge for the gay community was targeted when a gunman shot and killed 49 people, injuring 53 others, at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. This tragedy was the deadliest hate crime committed against LGBTQ+ people in modern U.S. history.
You can help Brady call on Congress to pass the Disarm Hate Act and prevent those convicted of a hate crime from possessing a firearm. We can protect the LGBTQ+ community and others at risk of hate-fueled gun violence. Send a message >> [[link removed]]
Hatred is an undeniably dark part of our world and in the United States, it’s made deadly with unfettered access to weapons of war. Hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community have risen in past years, while hate crimes against transgender and non-gender-conforming people nearly doubled. This threat of violence is part of the reason why queer spaces are so important and sacred.
Queer clubs, especially ones like Club Q and Pulse that exist as the only queer space in a city, are not just a place where people go to dance on the weekends, but one that personifies the queer experience. Nights like yesterday are filled with joy and understanding in a place where queerness is rampant and palpable. Free and emboldened in clubs and queer spaces, I’ve met friends and learned to be vibrantly me, made memories both silly and beautiful. For many, going to a club like this could be the first time they feel comfortable, feel seen. And then you come back and each time, you feel it again. It’s a space for us, filled with love because we need it in a scary world.
Two people stopped the gunman and the bloodshed, they acted so quickly and fearlessly that the attack lasted less than ten minutes. I wish it didn’t come down to two regular patrons to stop a gunman, but it is these two people who show just how much love the LGBTQ+ community holds for one another, taking unimaginably brave action to protect friends and strangers.
Today, Club Q planned to host a drag brunch for all ages as a celebration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, honoring the memory of transgender people who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence. Replacing fear and sadness with celebration and joy – remembering what it means to live proudly in the face of hate.
Instead, today, queer joy has been challenged, but not lost. Today, as importantly as ever, we must stand strong in the face of hate and violence – every single one of us. And tomorrow and the next, we have to continue to fight tirelessly: To pass common sense gun violence prevention legislation, ban weapons of war, and finally change our country.
You can help us honor with action today. The Disarm Hate Act would close the current gap in federal law and prevent people who have been convicted of a hate crime from purchasing or possessing a firearm. This is one critical step forward in our continued fight. You can send a message to your Congressman with Brady’s petition here: Disarm Hate [[link removed]] .
My heart is heavy today, but my queer joy is strong enough to carry it. And I know that if we are all united, fighting against gun violence and hate, we can honor the lives we’ve lost and save so many others. Thank you for fighting today.
Hannah Litman
Digital Fundraising Strategist
[[link removed]] John, thank you for supporting Brady. [[link removed]]
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