2SLGBTQ+ People Deserve Safety.

Black background with white text “2SLGBTQ+ people deserve safety. And joy. In all spaces. Everywhere.” with a Freedom Oklahoma logo in the lower left.

Dearest ones,

We’re holding you close in the wake of today’s news of the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs that took the lives of 5 community members and hospitalized 18 more. We know there are no words to ease the pain or relieve the horror of this moment. A moment that feels too familiar for too many of us.

Our clubs. Our drag venues. Our people. They come not just for our livelihoods and our culture, but our lives. Not just in public spaces, but in the spaces that are supposed to be safe and sacred and full of pride and joy. It’s horrific. And yet so many of us are faced with expectations of continuing our days as usual, in the face of ever-compounding grief. It’s impossible. It’s unfair. We should all have the safety to thrive. Everywhere. We should all be able to live our authentic lives without threat or fear of violence. And we know it is some of the most urgent work of our lifetime to ensure that safety is realized.

We’re thinking today of those impacted by the shooting in Colorado Springs, of those waiting to confirm the status of their loved ones, of those overwhelmed by grief and loss, of the broader 2SLGBTQ+ community in and beyond Colorado, and of the survivors of gun violence who awoke to news of another mass shooting and an expectation there will be no meaningful action from policy stakeholders in response. We’re sending love to our colleagues and friends at One Colorado. The fight to end the epidemic of gun violence is liberatory work across communities, and we’re committed to growing our understanding of community across arbitrary borders to build safety and security for us all.

In a statement from One Colorado, Stoney Bertz (he/they), One Colorado Southern Colorado Field Organizer said, “I’m in shock and heartbroken by the news that this happened in my own community here in Colorado Springs. Personally, Club Q has been a huge part of my life and, as one of the very few safe spaces for queer folks in the area, I know it has been so important to many others. It’s devastating that someone would intentionally target a safe space. My heart is with the whole city because this impacts us all. In times like this, it can feel isolating but we need to lean on each other and be in community because all we have is each other. There is a tomorrow—we just need to figure out what that looks like and how we are going to shape it together.”

Together. One day at a time. We’ll work to rebuild our sense of safety, grounded in community, as we have so many times before. Many of us are already gathering to grieve and mourn today, to recommit ourselves to the work still in front of us, at Trans Day of Remembrance spaces, including local observances this evening at the Diversity Center in Oklahoma City at 6:00 PM and Andrews Park in Norman at 7:00 PM.

In the immediate aftermath of today’s news, we want to lift up the following resources for crisis support:

Crisis Text Line, Text HOME to 741741

Trans Lifeline, 877-565-8860

Trevor Project, Text START to 678-678

We know the roots of the violence we saw happen in Colorado Springs. We’ve so many times named for the people in power exacerbating the violence through rhetoric, policy, and sometimes inaction, all of the ways they perpetuate the harm. We won’t take up space here when we know too many of you reading this are intimately familiar with the violence that this time turned deadly in Colorado Springs.

Instead we’ll remind you that being authentically yourself is not brave, but it is an act of radical hope in systems that work to break down our individuality and constrict us to normative, binary boxes. We’ll remind you that 2SLGBTQ+ people have always and will always exist. There is a future where, without question, 2SLGBTQ+ people live long lives, well into old age, marked by joy and love. A future where we’re not just safe, we’re celebrated. A future where the histories and stories we’ve so carefully documented and passed down between 2SLGBTQ+ generations are accessible in the mainstream, a part of the story of our collective history that is taught and uplifted. It’s not naivety, it’s intentional hope, fueled by our community work, that lets us envision this future we’re building together. Memory and vision intertwined by the legacy of hope and work towards that future where we all have the safety to thrive.

We’re here with you in this moment of grief and fear and rage. We’re holding each other through this in all of the ways we can.

We hope to see some of you tonight as we remember the trans siblings we lost this year, and as we grieve the conditions and systems that continue to direct violence at our communities.

With love and hope,