Stopping Hate Is Up To All Of Us
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
On the eve of TDOR, a gunman opened fire in an LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning/queer) club in Colorado Springs, murdering at least five and wounding at least 18.
One of the best ways to be an ally is to amplify their voices. So instead of sharing *my* thoughts on this preventable tragedy, I am going to share statements from members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“STOPPING TRANS MURDERS IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY – You might read this and think, ‘Well, I’m not going to murder a trans person, so this doesn’t include me.’ And you’d be wrong. Transphobia is a societal, systemic problem. Which means it’s everyone’s responsibility to stop. Everyone who does not actively fight transphobia contributes to upholding it.”
- Schuyler Bailar (he/him) is the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team.
“Don’t stay quiet because Silence enables violence.”
- Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they) is an intersectional, intersex advocate, changing the legislative landscape for marginalized populations, and an advisor for interACT, which employs legal and media strategies to advocate for the human rights of children born with intersex traits like her.
“LGBTQ people deserve to live their lives and access safe, affirming spaces and community without the threat of violence. We cannot allow our community’s sources of love, joy, and pride to become ones of fear and trauma. We must all come together to promote acceptance and condemn anti-LGBTQ violence and the rhetoric that incites it.”
- Kasey Suffredini (he/him), Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, which is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people.
“You can’t indoctrinate someone into being LGBTQ. You can, however, indoctrinate someone into irrationally fearing and hating people for their gender identity and sexual orientation.”
- John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist, committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities.
“Allies, listen to us when we tell you this was not an isolated targeting of queer spaces. We need your help in uplifting queer voices, we must hold those in roles of power accountable as they actively encourage negativity against the community for their own benefit. “
- A statement from TransFamily Support Services which guides transgender/non-binary youth and their families through the gender transitioning process to help make it the most positive experience possible.
“There are no words that will undo the horror that continues to devastate our communities. Our safe spaces continue to become places of grief, trauma, and sorrow due to gun violence, mass shootings, and the general disrespect for our human condition. Not one more life should be taken or lost. No one should feel unsafe to celebrate or live authentically in public.”
- Nadine Bridges, MSW (she/her), Executive Director of One Colorado, Colorado’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families.
“This unspeakable attack has robbed countless people of their friends and family and an entire community’s sense of safety. You can draw a straight line from the false and vile rhetoric about LGBTQ people spread by extremists and amplified across social media, to the nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year, to the dozens of attacks on our community like this one. That this mass shooting took place on the eve of on Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we honor the memory of the trans people killed the prior year, deepens the trauma and tragedy for all in the LGBTQ community. The media must stop spreading misinformation and elevate the truth that LGBTQ people exist, belong and want to live in peace and safety. Elected officials and corporate leaders must act immediately to prioritize this truth, and protect everyone’s safety.”
- Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her/hers), President and CEO of GLAAD — the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization – increases media accountability and community engagement that ensures authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualized.
“We just want to live. Is that so much to ask?”
- Brandon Wolf (he/him), Pulse shooting survivor, nationally-recognized gun safety and LGBTQ civil rights advocate and dynamic public speaker.
VISIONALITY is committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity within our workplace and communities. Beyond that, VISIONALITY believes that every person deserves to let their light shine bright in the world, without fear and discrimination.
VISIONALITY has joined more than 1,200 small businesses who have signed on to America Competes’ Small Businesses Against LGBTQ Discrimination coalition. We hope you will too.
Support the families of the victims and the survivors of the Club Q shooting HERE.
LGBTQ+ Resources: