DMARC Statement on Shooting at Club Q

DMARC stands with the LGBTQ+ community in mourning the lives taken this weekend through a terrible act of violence at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Five people are dead, and numerous others injured, by an attack on a safe haven for queer people on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Hateful ideology has extinguished the innocent lives of Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Raymond Green Vance, Derrick Rump, and Ashley Green Paugh. This horrific act must be condemned by all.

We mourn this tragedy, which joins a growing list of murders, assaults, and other forms of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse against queer people. Language matters. Anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is on the rise in Iowa and across the country, and we can unfortunately expect more violence against the LGBTQ+ community if this incredibly harmful rhetoric continues to be promoted. We call on all members of our community to speak out against acts of hatred whenever and wherever they appear. We stand together united in our humanity – people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, races, religions, ages, nations – we are all humans. None of us are free until we all are free.

At DMARC, we love, support, and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. While there are many religious communities that have made great strides in welcoming all humans of all backgrounds and identities into their spaces, we recognize the harm that some religious communities and institutions have inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community. We know LGBTQ people in central Iowa face higher rates of food insecurity as well as not having other basic human needs met. We have aimed to do better and be truly welcoming to those in the community, and we will continue to do better. Still, we must name and apologize for the shortcomings of our own organization in affirming and celebrating the queer community as an important part of our human community. Read about DMARC’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.