Colorado’s first out transgender lawmaker, state Rep. Brianna Titone (D) blamed misinformation and insults about members of the LGBTQ community for the massacre at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub over the weekend.
“The LGBTQ+ community woke up this morning to yet another horrific event of murder. When politicians and pundits keep perpetuating tropes, insults, and misinformation about the trans and LTBGQ community, this is a result. I’m angry & my heart breaks for those who lost their lives,” Titone wrote.
“Thank you to the heroic individuals who put their safety at risk to confront the assailant,” she added.
“There’s no surprise that the repeated villianization of the LGBTQ+ community has led to violence,” Titone wrote in another tweet.
Police say a 22-year-old gunman, Anderson Lee Aldrich, entered Club Q just before midnight Saturday and opened fire killing 5 people and injuring 25 others before he was subdued by two patrons in the club.
The suspect is being treated at a hospital. Police said they were investigating whether the attack was a hate crime, noting Club Q’s relationship with the LGBTQ community and that the shooting occurred on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
