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A Resolution recognizing the LGBTQ community and remembering the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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WHEREAS, on Saturday, November 19, 2022, there was a mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, a dance club supportive of the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, five people were killed: Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, and Ashley Paugh; and
WHEREAS, 18 people were injured, 17 of whom suffered gunshot wounds, including one of the heroes who helped apprehend the shooter, and many people who were present and traumatized by the attack; and
WHEREAS, Club Q has been described as the heart of the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs, a city 70 miles south of Denver, attracting a mix of queer people and straight allies; and
WHEREAS, the shooting happened on Transgender Day of Remembrance; and
WHEREAS, both heroes who apprehended the shooter are members of the U.S. Military; and
WHEREAS, this was the 601st mass shooting in the United States in 2022; and
WHEREAS, this year, threats and violence against the LGBTQ community, including drag and transgender events have surged nationwide according to GLAAD; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, 49 people were killed in a mass shooting at The Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida; and
WHEREAS, at least 32 transgender people have been killed in hate crimes this year to date; and
WHEREAS, the Black Trans community is specifically targeted and has the highest rate of murder within the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, mass shootings are now a predictable daily part of American life and are preventable if the political will exists to enact more restrictive gun laws and prosecute perpetrators of hate crimes; and
WHEREAS, the top law enforcement agency in the country, the FBI, tracks hate crimes, and the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act allows the federal government to prosecute hate crimes, including those based on sexual orientation and gender identity; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, the FBI reported approximately 1,051 victims of hate crimes were targeted due to sexual orientation (13.5% of all hate crimes reported), and 236 victims of hate crimes were targeted due to their gender identity (3% of all hate crimes reported); and
WHEREAS, Tennessee is one of eight states with the least amount of protections for the 223,000 residents who identify as members of the LGBTQ Community; and
WHEREAS, LGBTQ Tennesseans just want to live their lives as other Tennesseans do, including shopping, dining, appreciating nature, loving their friends and family, going to religious services, listening to music, parenting, and working; and
WHEREAS, the LGBTQ community has banded together to support one another due to decades of persecution, discrimination, and abuse; and
WHEREAS, no number of vigils will stop hate crimes, but laws created to protect targeted communities will; and
WHEREAS, until such protections are codified in local and state laws, organizations that support the LGBTQ community must do the work. These organizations include TNEP, HRC, PFLAG, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, National Center for Transgender Equity, ACLU, The Trevor Project, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, among others; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council goes on record as requesting the U.S. Congressional Delegation representing our great city to vote in favor of the currently pending Respect for Marriage Act to protect gay marriage rights in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council condemns hate crimes of any kind, and will always remember the victims and survivors of the senseless attack that occurred at Club Q on November 19, 2022, and will work diligently to provide equal protection under the law for all Nashvillians regardless of sexual orientation or identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record recognizing the LGBTQ community and remembering the victims of the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Section 2. The Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as requesting the U.S. Congressional Delegation representing our great city to vote in favor of the currently pending Respect for Marriage Act to protect gay marriage rights in the United States.
Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.