November 21, 2022

We mourn. 

This weekend our nation witnessed yet another senseless act of gun violence. This time it was  an act of hate directed at our LGBTQ+ community on the evening of November 19th. We mourn the lives lost at Club Q in Colorado Springs. Queer venues such as Club Q are sacred spaces; they build community, instill pride, and offer refuge from an otherwise hostile world wherein LGBTQ+ individuals are told through public policy, political and religious rhetoric, and outright discrimination that they are not welcome. We acknowledge that this was an act of hate which stripped five individuals of their lives and a community of a space which was home to many.

The Office for Inclusion and Diversity and the Cultural and Community Centers send love to our LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students who have felt the effects of this act of violence. We support the LGBTQ+ community in their legitimate fight for legal recognition and protections and we are committed to making Virginia Tech a more affirming and welcoming space for all. We encourage our Virgnia Tech community to engage with the VirTual Safe Zone program, which makes space for the exploration and support of queer and trans identities and experiences. We also encourage everyone to demonstrate concern and support for our friends and colleagues in ways that respect their individual needs to manage grief and trauma as they see fit.

LGBTQAI2+ folks deserve to live a full and happy life.

Menah Pratt, Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Diversity

Ellington Graves, Associate Vice Provost for Diversity

Dr. Bing, Director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center