Hate armed with a gun is deadly. The terrible tragedy in Colorado Springs is felt in the hearts of all of us, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community. Sunday, November 20th was Trans Day of Remembrance, a day where we honor the transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people whose lives have been taken far too soon. It has also only been six years since the horrific shooting at Pulse Nightclub. The LGBTQ+ community continues to bear the brunt of our nation’s gun violence crisis and hate-fueled violence.
Everyone should be free to celebrate and live as their true selves without fear of being shot.
We stand with all those grieving in Colorado Springs.
We are here to disarm hate and send love.
Gun Violence and the LGBTQ+ Community
The LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately impacted by gun violence, including acts of gun violence every day in our homes and communities—not only in high-profile mass shootings.
This is why you may not know that 2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans and gender non-conforming people in the U.S., and unfortunately, this deadly violence has continued in 2022. This epidemic overwhelmingly impacts trans women of color. While just 13 percent of the trans population in the United States is estimated to be Black, 73 percent of known trans homicide victims were Black women. Systemic inequities across institutions and generations of racial discrimination have amplified the impact of gun violence on marginalized communities and can be heightened at the intersection of identities. Anti-trans violence, and specifically anti-trans gun violence, is concentrated against the Black community.
This tragedy happened in a year where we’ve seen a rise in anti-trans and anti-gay rhetoric, policy and attacks from far-right extremists.
Send Some Love
Students Demand Action and Moms Demand Action have put together some guidance for how volunteers can support the LGBTQ+ community over Thanksgiving and in the upcoming weeks.
Local Actions in Your Community
- Send Love to your local LGBTQ+ Centers & Businesses: Find out if your local LGBTQ+ Center needs volunteers or support over the holidays and/or get together with a small group of volunteers and create cards or notes of solidarity and support to drop off at your local gay bar or LGBTQ center. Here are some ideas of notes you can send.
At-Home Actions:
- Join our national call, Disarm Hate, Send Love: Fighting for LGBTQ+ Justice in the GVP Space. Sign up to learn from partners and activists about how to intentionally work for LGBTQ+ justice while volunteering in the gun violence prevention movement on Tuesday, November 29 at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT.
- Sign up to call into GA for the 2022 Senate Runoff: Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need to elect candidates who will take action to keep our families and communities safe. We need a U.S. Senate that will fight for the LGBTQ+ community and who will stand up to the gun lobby. Join us to phone bank into GA to get out the vote for the Senate Runoff.
Find Community
- Join our LGBTQ+ Affinity Group for Students Demand Action Volunteers on Wednesday, November 30 at 8:00pm ET/5:00 pm PT. If you can’t make that call, sign up here to get information about future Students Demand LGTBQ+ Affinity group meetings.
- Join the Moms Demand Action LGBTQ+ Caucus: Wednesday, November 30, 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT. If you can’t make that call, sign up here to get information about future caucus gatherings.
Follow These Tips on Being an Ally
- Tell your friends you’re there for them if they need you
- Speak up against hate and homophobia/transphobia in your circles, on and offline
- Do the work to *educate yourself*
- Vote with your values as an ally
- Support and patron your local LGBTQ+ establishments
Online Actions
Share this list of national LGBTQ+ resources with your network.
- LGBT National Hotline: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States. Dial 888-843-4564 for support during the hours found here.
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support for transgender and nonbinary youth between the ages of 13-24. Text START to 678-678. Call 1-866-488-7386.
- BlackLine: *This resource is divested from the police. BlackLine provides a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences to people who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black femme lens. Dial 1-800-604-5841 for 24/7 support.
Donate to Colorado-based efforts to support victims, families and the LGBTQ+ community.
- The Colorado Gives 365 foundation has started an official fundraiser for the Colorado Healing Fund, an organization built to support communities after an act of mass violence.
- Verified GoFundMe for funeral expenses.
- Verified GoFundMe for Club Q victim and family services, led by a former employee.
- Verified GoFundMe for healing art services, Classroom of Compassion.
