Three weeks have passed since the mass shooting at the Colorado Springs LGBTQIA+ nightclub Club Q. Three weeks and the headlines now reflect other stories. But those who lost loved ones have not moved on. Those in the LGBTQIA+ community have not moved on. And we at Boston Women’s Fund have not moved on either. We must not let anti-LGBTQIA+ violence become a part of our everyday lives in this country.
The people gathered at Club Q that night were there because, until then, it had been their safe space. Wrapped into true freedom is the ability to be who you are, wherever you are, without the threat of attack.
Boston is far from immune to this kind of hate. This summer, the Boston Children’s Hospital received a high volume of threats for caring for trans youth. Around the same time, an individual threatened violence against a Boston doctor at the Fenway Institute for their care of trans youth. And last month, the Boston Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil was moved to a virtual event for safety.
In the past year alone, over 200 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced nationwide. It’s no coincidence that the Human Rights Campaign also reported record violence against trans and non-binary individuals. Hateful political rhetoric has undoubtedly contributed to the lost lives we’re mourning.
We know that the effect of hateful events like these has no geographical bounds — LGBTQIA+ people everywhere and their loved ones are impacted.
The Boston Women’s Fund stays committed to listening to and building with our communities. We’d like to provide a space for those in the LGBTQIA+ community to come together with support to process, share, or simply be with others in healing.
We want the offerings in this space to reflect what’s most important to you. What would be supportive for you at this moment? Let us know in this 2-minute survey.
Please email aisha@bostonwomensfund.org with any questions you might have.
In Solidarity,
Natanja Craig Oquendo
Executive Director at Boston Women’s Fund