Message from President & CEO - Club Q Tragedy, Fund for Victims & Vigil

As you've likely heard by now, over the weekend, the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs and the entire state suffered an unspeakable tragedy. To date, 5 people were gunned down and 25 were wounded when a gunman walked into Club Q, an LGBTQ+ bar, and started shooting. And...on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Our community is in mourning for the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado, and we are heartbroken.

I've spent two days crafting a statement, reaching out to the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce to offer our condolences and support, working with their chamber to identify a fund to support the families and victim and collaborated with the Montrose Center on the vigil. All of which you can read about below.

My holiday week was not supposed to start with crafting statements, determining a fund to support victims, mourning the loss of LGBTQ+ community members or all of the above. It was supposed to be the start of a holiday week and looking forward to a "quieter week", as I mentioned to someone last week, and not a week filled with tears and literally being heartbroken because of the hatred and violence we are reading about in Colorado Springs.

Now, I am writing this email to you with such sadness that this has happened to the LGBTQ+ community. In a world, where we must constantly look over our shoulder, the LGBTQ+ community needs more support than ever. Whether a tragedy in Colorado Springs or the anti-LGBTQ+ attacks that we will see during the 2023 legislative session, the LGBTQ+ community needs your support.

Read the Chamber's statement below about the Club Q massacre, learn more about how you can contribute to the fund to help the families and victims and join the Chamber, along with other LGBTQ+ and Allied organizations, for a vigil this week. And...looking forward...how you can use your voice this upcoming legislative session. Now is the time to come together as a community.