We are beyond devastated and heartbroken by the shooting that occurred on Saturday night at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This atrocity occurred just hours before yesterday’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors those who have died as a result of anti-transgender violence, with a focus on Black, Brown, and Indigenous Transgender folks, who are often the most vulnerable to anti-trans violence.
Coming together at times like this is essential for our mental health—whether it be to grieve, connect, offer support to another, breathe, or simply just take a moment to notice what we feel. There is immense strength in community, in knowing that we are not alone, and that there are resources available to all of us to help us cope.
Having to witness yet another senseless display of injustice and hatred is incredibly painful– especially when we are in the position to continue teaching and encouraging our children to navigate the world around them. We know many parents are wondering how to approach this topic with their children, so we’ve included numerous trusted resources below.
If you’re interested in ways to directly support the victims in Colorado Springs, we’ve included key resources:
- Colorado Healing Fund: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/Clubq
- The official donation fund announced by Club Q
- GoFundMe verified donation page: Support for the Club Q Families and Survivors
- Partnering with a local LGBTQ-run organization & funds go directly to the victims
If you are in need of crisis support, please contact one of the resources below.
- Crisis Text Line, Text HOME to 741741
- Free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text from anywhere in the U.S. to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor.
- Trevor Project, Text START to 678-678 or call 866-488.7386
- 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people
- The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: 888-843-4564
- Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
Resources to help children process their feelings around the Club Q shooting or community violence in general:
- IFC blog posts on grief, loss, violence, and processing:
- Sesame Street has resources on Community & Gun Violence for children and families.
- A Kids Company has their A Kids Book About School Shootings downloadable for free
- Written by a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, it is aimed at ages 5 to 9. While the Colorado Springs shooting did not happen in a school, some of the suggestions in this book may still be useful.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics explains, “How to Talk With Kids About Tragedies & Other Traumatic News Events.”
- The American Psychological Association offers some ideas for “Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting.”
- Everytown provides some “general information and coping tips” on “Children’s Responses to Trauma.
If you wish to learn more about or take action against gun violence…
Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, and Prevention Institute are great places to start.
We hope these are beneficial to you and your family as you learn together how to address such heartbreaking events. Please know that your feelings of confusion, sadness, anxiety, hurt, and hopelessness are justified and shared by all of us at IFC. We are with you through every step of grief and will continue this relentless fight for equity and justice.
If you are in search of a trauma-informed therapist for yourself or your child, we are currently accepting new clients and would love the opportunity to support you.
In Solidarity and Community,
The IFC Team