I remember being young and gay. My biggest fear of going to a gay bar was being seen and outed to my employer. (Yes, there was a time that being gay was a fireable offense.)
Now, the concern of going into a gay bar is being shot and killed. It’s happened again. This time in Colorado Springs. A man goes into a gay bar and starts shooting. At least five dead and 25 injured.
There would have been more victims. Authorities say at least one person tackled and subdued the gunman.
The mayor of Colorado Springs says that a man grabbed a handgun from the gunman and hit him with it. When police arrived, the man was still on top of the gunman, pinning him down.
I’m so upset about this. Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that I am gay and these are my people. It also has a lot to do with how much hate is out there.
I found this at Voice of America. Hate crimes rose moderately in major U.S. cities during the first half of 2022. Over the past two years however, there were double digit increases. These numbers come from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.
At this point, we don’t know if the Colorado Springs Club Q shooting was a hate crime. It sure looks like it though.
You can’t talk about this latest shooting without thinking about the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. In June of 2016, 49 people killed and 53 wounded.
Last night, people gathered at the memorial where the nightclub once stood. They paused to pray and reflect.
It’s happened again. I don’t even know how to explain it. Have our politics become so divisive, so angry, that some can get pushed into violence? I’m talking both sides of the political aisle too.
I’m very sad today. Sad about what happened. Worried about what might come next.
I’m long past going to gay bars. My shelf life for that has long expired. If I did still go, I would make certain I knew where all the exits were. I do that in movie theaters too.
I guess that’s our world. I’m sad about it. Upset about it. It’s happened again. Yes, again.