SAN FRANCISCO, CO – The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has issued the following statement regarding the tragic shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO last night:
“Our hearts ache for the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs,” said NCLR Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon. “5 lives were stolen, at least 18 more injured, and countless lives will be forever changed.
It is devastating that they were targeted in a space where we look for community.
We have seen an unmistakable rise in hateful rhetoric directed at our community. This rhetoric cannot be separated from the tragedy we grieve today. Anti-LGBT messages contribute to a culture that fans the flames of violence toward us.
On Transgender Day of remembrance, we honor trans folks we have lost to violence and rededicate ourselves to ending this violence. To do this, we need real gun reform. And we need to dismantle the culture that allows hateful rhetoric to give rise to tragedies like this one.”
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding 45 years ago, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the most underrepresented in the LGBTQ community. www.nclrights.org