Des Moines leaders urge LGBTQ Iowans to unite and stand up against hate in wake of Colorado shooting
Leaders in the LGBTQ community of Des Moines called for unity and vigor in the face of politicized hate and growing violence against queer people in the wake of a deadly nightclub shooting in Colorado.
Dozens gathered outside The Blazing Saddle in the East Village of Des Moines for a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims of a shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs over the weekend. Five people died and two dozen were injured in the shooting, which has left the country's LGBTQ community in mourning.
The suspect, a 22-year-old man, has been charged with five counts of murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime causing injury as the investigation continues.
Tahdi Fierro, a drag artist who performs as Synitha DeMornay Sanchez, told the crowd at the Des Moines vigil that now is the time to unite more than ever as others seek to eradicate LGBTQ people.
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"We are humans," Fierro said. "We are daughters and we are sons. We are cousins. We are aunts and uncles. We deserve to live our lives just like everyone else. Why can't we live in peace and be happy? I hope that everyone last one of us knows that you're loved. You're valid in everything that you do."
Bryan Smith, the co-owner of The Blazing Saddle who is also known as Stinky, said acts like the ones in Colorado are targeted hate crimes as safe spaces are ravaged, but that there's safety in numbers.
"The more we're together, the better we are," he said.
Becky Tayler, the executive director of LGBTQ youth advocacy group Iowa Safe Schools, said the community is grieving for the LGBTQ people who brutally lost their lives and praying for the families who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. She said places like Club Q are more than a nightclub: they are a safe haven, a home and a place to find chosen family and friends.
Tayler said that she's been reminded that people will always show up and fight for their community.
"The war on LGBTQ individuals in Iowa and nationwide directly feeds into the growing fear, hate and violence that we are seeing around the country," she said. "So tonight, we as a community want to also call on the leaders of our state and local government to stop this campaign of hate against your neighbors, against your family and against your community."
Tayler evoked Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California who was assassinated in 1978, in calling for hope that the future will be better.
"We will not stop gathering. We will not stop laughing, and we will not stop loving each other," she said. "And we will not stop dancing at the places that we call home. We will not go quietly back into the closet. We will not be silenced, and we will not stop fighting until every LGBTQ person in Iowa and nationwide feels safe, supported and affirmed in who they are."
Courtney Reyes, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy group One Iowa, called on the community to offer support and love to those impacted by the Colorado shooting.
Reyes said queer people, including trans people, are being used as a political wedge to drive hate, including in Iowa. Republican politicians and conservative activists in Iowa have pushed against transgender girls and women playing sports, drag shows and LGBTQ books in libraries and schools over the past year.
"This is not happening in a vacuum," she said. Reyes said that the situation is scary and difficult, but it's important for the LGBTQ community and their allies to stand up and fight.
"They're trying to silence us," she said. "They're to stomp us out. We're not going anywhere."
Dan Jansen, board chair of Capital City Pride, noted the echoes of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando that killed nearly 50 people.
"This year there will be empty chairs at the gatherings of families and friends due to lives taken, lives stolen, due to senseless hate," he said.
More:Colorado Springs massacre joins growing list of LGBTQ hate crimes in America
Debbie Griffin, senior minister at Downtown Disciples in Des Moines, offered a prayer of comfort to the crowd.
"We are lamenting. We are angry. We are afraid," she said. "We are raw nerves exposed and tender, but we are here. We are not alone."
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines LGBTQ leaders stage candlelight vigil after Club Q shooting
