Club Q – (republishing LGBT letter) Trans Awareness Month, Remembrance Day
On November 19–20, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire, using a devastating long rifle. The accused, 22-year-old A L Aldrich, was also injured and taken to a local hospital.
When the gunfire began inside Club Q, Army veteran Richard Fierro went into “combat mode,” as he put it, and tried to do all he could to stop the shooter from hurting people. The man suspected of opening fire at the gay nightclub was being held on murder and hate crime charges, without bond, Monday, November 21.
Many local LGBTQ residents say that it was more of a club that felt like ‘family,’ than just a bar. Many called it a refuge, saying it was one of the only safe places to go and hang out in the strongly Christian, and military town – some of whom expressed their prejudice; (an epicenter of evangelical faith and activism and conservatism)
==To donate and help the survivors and victims’ families, go to COLORADO HEALING FUND.
==To get help with your depression/sadness, call 1-844-493-8255 / or text TALK to 38255.
==For suicide or crisis help, dial 988.
Trans Awareness Month – November (formed in 2017)
A month to celebrate transgender and gender nonconforming communities and to raise awareness for this community through education and advocacy activities.
(Out & Equal is the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ workplace equality.)
Trans Awareness Week 13-19 November (formed in 2017)
A week to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming people, and the issues associated with their transition and/or identity. (See GLAAD.org)
Transgender Day of Remembrance 20 November (formed in 1999)
Day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. *
Letter
This letter was previously published in the Lyons Recorder at the beginning of November as part of our recognition of TransGender Month, Week, and Day. We feel it may help some people during this time of grieving, as a point of support, and are re-publishing it here:
It is fascinating what most people consider history. History for some starts and ends with civics classes or a genealogical curiosity, but for others it’s an everyday interaction. The LGBTQ+ community’s connection with their own history is intricate and unique. It’s hard to pass on our oral histories without the help of deep kindred intergenerational friendships. Our community keeps and gathers in places that transcend time. The constant debate over our civil rights calls back to what we had to do to achieve them, and what we’ll have to do if they are taken from us.
October was LGBTQ+ History Month… consider what the significance of being introduced to this history does for our community, especially recent queer generations. Connection to history is often more impactful than we realize. Knowing one’s history can change one’s life.
For myself, learning that Amelio Robles, a transgender man in 1920s Mexico, lived a long, happy, fulfilling life and was respected by his peers in the Mexican revolutionary armies helped me realize that a long, happy, fulfilling future as a transgender woman is possible. That decision has led me to believing in a fulfilling future with impossibly wonderful friendships. One such being, Robynne Pennington, who was the vice president of the Gender Identity Center in the 1990s, provided numerous services, safe havens, and advice for transgender people since the early 1970s.
To learn more, check out the multitude of artifacts in History Colorado’s permanent LGBTQ+ Archive. This history is truly lifesaving and prioritizing its preservation has the power to keep our community safe. Please check out Rainbows & Revolutions the next time you’re at History Colorado Center.
—Soleil Hanberry-Lizzi, Guest Services Agent
History Colorado, weekly newsletter, October 2022
HistoryColorado.org
* This list of dates was provided by Wikipedia
