On this edition of Your Call, we're discussing Saturday night's massacre at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub, safe haven, and community space in Colorado Springs.
It took just five minutes for a 22-year-old gunman to shoot and kill five people with an AR-style weapon. Seventeen people are recovering from gunshot wounds and one person was injured without being shot. Two patrons tackled the gunman before police arrived, which prevented him from murdering even more people.
The massacre happened on the night before the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual commemoration to honor trans people whose lives were lost to anti-trans violence. At least 47 trans people were killed since last November, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
We'll also discuss the extreme anti-LGBTQ rhetoric Republicans have been pushing for years, which has furthered hostility towards the community. Throughout the midterm elections, many Republicans characterized queer and transgender people as “groomers,” and the right-wing media have obsessively focused on drag shows. There have been more than 145 anti-trans bills introduced across 34 states this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
Guests:
Robin Maril, assistant professor of Constitutional Law at Willamette University
Garrett Royer, deputy director of One Colorado
Heidi Beedle, staff writer for the Colorado Times Recorder, member of the Trans Journalists Association, and host of the Western Fringe podcast
Web Resources:
Colorado Times Recorder: 5 Dead Following CO Springs Shooting at LGBTQ Nightclub
The New York Times: ‘He Saved a Lot of Lives’: Combat Veteran Tackled Colorado Gunman
The Colorado Sun: Clear spike in anti-trans rhetoric sets stage for violence like Colorado Springs shooting, experts say
The Los Angeles Times: Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs follows six brutal years of Republican anti-LGBTQ rhetoric
The New York Times: Drag events across the country have often faced threats in recent years.
The Associated Press: Gay club shooting suspect evaded Colorado’s red flag gun law
