A mass shooting in Colorado Springs has claimed five queer lives and injured at least another twenty-five people — echoing the terror, horror, and trauma experienced during the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre.
Late Saturday night, a 22-year-old gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich entered Club Q in Colorado Springs. murdering five people and leaving at least twenty-five people injured.
Within six minutes of the first call from the club, Colorado Springs police descended on the scene. Upon arriving, patrons of the queer bar had already subdued the gunman — an active of bravery that dozens of Uvalde police officers failed to show earlier this year when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos took twenty-one lives.
Condolences and words of sorrow, rage, and commemoration have come from numerous politicians, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Biden, and other notable public figures since the attack. And the fact that this mass shooting, which is now one of more than six hundred to occur this year in the United States, transpired on Transgender Day of Remembrance did not fall on deaf ears.
This is a hate crime. This was an act of hate. This was an attack on queer people and their safe spaces.
Sunday night, a candlelight vigil was held to honor the five lives lost and others wounded in the shooting, as well as to pay homage to at least the 32 trans lives lost this year, according to a report from the Human Rights Campaign.
The Castro stands in solidarity with the Colorado Springs LGBTQ community. pic.twitter.com/EjqoIKSRIn
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) November 21, 2022
“The Castro stands in solidarity with the Colorado Springs LGBTQ community,” reads a tweet from California State Senator Scott Wiener, showing a picture of a group of people convened at the intersection of Castro and Market streets — holding candles and listening to words from community leaders. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sang in front of an audience wet with tears.
And thank you @SFGMC for getting us started with the spirit of love. pic.twitter.com/wgCnIHcejN
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) November 21, 2022
As of Monday morning, Aldrich has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury — the latter connoting hate crime motivations.
Guns are the fucking problem. Homophobia is the fucking problem; transphobia is the fucking problem. And all these fucking problems will continue to bleed society until we address them for the emergencies they are.
Here is more notable news that happened over the weekend.
- Adoptable cats and dogs return to Macy’s Holiday Windows sponsored by SFSPCA. For the first time in nearly three years, IRL kittens and puppies are now displayed in front of Union Square — and they’re already being adopted out in huge numbers. More info.
- With 680 more votes for Thao counted, the City Councilwoman is narrowly leading Loren Taylor, pulling ahead of Taylor with 50.3% of the vote after ranked choice. “We are optimistic that our lead will hold and that Sheng Thao will be the next mayor of Oakland,” Thao’s campaign said in a statement. More info.
- Coinciding with his return to Twitter, former president Trump is currently sitting in his lowest political influence and favorability position since 2018. But we’re still clutching our pears. More info.
- Service officially started at SF’s Central Subway station Saturday. A video captured and posted on Twitter by transportation reporter Jerold Chinn, showed other people, both on the train and on the station. More info.
Feature image: Courtesy of Twitter via [at]mvddm
