Who are the victims in the Colorado gay nightclub shooting?
On Aug. 21, a gunman entered a crowded gay nightclub in Denver and fatally shot a former boyfriend and several other men before killing himself. The suspect, 24-year-old Wade Michael Page, wrote a handwritten manifesto while in a psychiatric facility and spoke about his hatred of gay people on the day of the shooting.
We don’t know much about Page but we do know that the victims of the shooting are among the most vulnerable people in our country.
The victims are people who are transgender, gender nonconforming, sexual minorities, immigrants, and black and Hispanic. They are our neighbors, friends, coworkers, family and fellow citizens. They are the children of our most vulnerable citizens. They are the parents of children who are trans, gender nonconforming, sexual minorities, immigrants and African Americans and Latinos. They are the family of our citizens, who have come to our nations, as refugees fleeing violence and oppression, and are seeking a better life, which we promised them, as a nation. They are our community. They are our nation.
A group of survivors of the shooting have issued a statement saying “we are committed to pushing for equality, justice and safety for all.” A more extended version of the statement, which took more than 30 minutes to read, reads:
“We are committed to pushing for equality, justice and safety for all. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community and all vulnerable communities in our country. We reject all forms of violence against LGBT people, and we support the safety and well-being of our allies. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community and all vulnerable communities. We stand in solidarity with our allies who are targeted and oppressed daily for exercising their rights to exist and thrive. We join together in our outrage, solidarity and solidarity, no matter what the circumstances.
“We have to take care of each other. We are members of our society and part of its fabric. We are all connected in a single nation called the United States of America. We stand united with all of those who fear for their life and that of their family.
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