Club Q Shooting: In the Shadow of an Evil, Violent Act
Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends is devastated and heartbroken for the lives lost and the injuries caused at the hand of a gunman at Club Q in Colorado Springs. Expressions of thoughts and prayers for the victims never feel enough in the shadow of such evil, violent acts.
We mourn not just for the lives lost but for the violation of another space of safety for LGBTQIA+ people. These spaces are vital for our community.
Such acts of hate do not occur in a vacuum. We condemn the words and actions of those who continue to target, malign, and demonize the LGBTQIA+ community in pursuit of power and authority, political or otherwise.
It is important to note that words matter. Words expressing prejudice, harassment, and discrimination towards LGBTQIA+ people embolden harmful ideas and actions, becoming the pernicious approval required to harm others. You can make an immediate difference in the safety of LGBTQIA+ people if you call out such speech immediately, no matter where you hear it— be it at home, the workplace, out in society, or even in church. If you hear something, say something.
Affirmation will continue its mission to create worldwide communities of safety, love, and hope and seek to be a refuge from such violence and hate.