We are grief-stricken by the news of yet another senseless act of hate violence directed at the LGBTQ+ community. Our hearts are with the victims, survivors, families and friends of those lost and harmed, the Colorado community, and LGBTQ+ communities everywhere. We condemn the actions of the gunman, as well as the anti-LGBTQ+ and especially anti-Trans hate and rhetoric that is becoming increasingly common in our world. Though we are physically far from Club Q, we are connected to the LGBTQ+ communities in Colorado through our shared identities and grief, and stand in solidarity with them through this difficult time.
The Colorado Healing Fund has been activated to help support the victims and survivors of the Club Q shooting. In the aftermath of mass violence, victims need immediate and long-term support. CHF provides a secure way to donate to victims of these tragedies. Donate by visiting https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/COHealingFund
Times like these can feel isolating, and we need to be able to lean on each other and be in community, because grief is a powerful and sometimes overwhelming emotion. We offer the following resources for support, both locally and nationally:
- Pride Center’s SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program works to transform harm with and for LGBTQ+ Vermonters. If you or someone you know has experienced violence, threats, or intimidation, you can contact SafeSpace here: https://www.pridecentervt.org/safespace/
- LGBT National Help Center https://www.lgbthotline.org/
- Trans Lifeline https://translifeline.org/
- The Trevor Project https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
- Pathways Vermont Support Line — Call or text (833) VT-TALKS / (833) 888-2557