Dear Social Work Community,
As members of the Social Work faculty, we mourn with the families, friends, and communities who have lost loved ones due to the horrific violence inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, Colorado this past weekend.
On Saturday, November 19, 2022, a gunman entered Club Q in Colorado Springs and killed five people and injured more than 25. This was not an isolated incident.
We know that the increase of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ legislation, originating from the right-wing, has served to legitimize violence and embolden bigots. We know that anti-LGBTQ hate crimes are on the rise in cities across the country. We know that 2021 saw more anti-trans murders than any year on record. We know that LGBTQ people face higher rates of police violence and harassment. We know that queer spaces have been subject to arson and violence in multiple cities. And we know that this country has repeatedly refused to engage in any rational conversation about gun regulation.
For the past century, queer bars have been safe spaces for countless LGBTQ people. We understand that shootings like the one this weekend (and the 2016 shooting at Pulse in Orlando that killed 49 people and wounded 53 more) can cause people to feel like that they are not safe anywhere.
As we grieve over the unrelenting violence enacted against our LGBTQ+ communities, we pause to recognize the impact that this recent act of violence may be having on our students.
We condemn these persistent acts of violence and are vehemently committed to responding as individuals and as a department. We confront these issues by providing justice-informed education to our students, advocating for change at all system levels through our service, and providing justice-informed social work practice skills at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels.
We value all our LGBTQ students and community members. If you need support in any way, each of us as faculty is dedicated to scheduling time to meet with you, to listen and share during this time of grief. Please feel free to contact any of us to request a meeting and we will respond.
Sincerely,
the faculty and staff of the Social Work Department