We grieve with the loved ones of the people who were murdered at Club Q this weekend and wish speedy healing to those who were injured.
These tragic events are just the latest in a long line of examples demonstrating that normalizing hate speech has deadly consequences for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The few spaces that 2SLGBTQIA+ people are able to create for ourselves should be safe places for us celebrate and support one another. This should have been especially true on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize transgender people whose lives have been lost to violence.
The trauma of every homophobic comment, transphobic attack on the rights of trans and non-binary people, and act of queerphobic violence makes our lives much more difficult but we will not be silenced. Canada – and Waterloo Region – are not immune to this kind of violence. Our governments and leaders must be held accountable for allowing increasing incidents of hate speech and hate crimes to endanger 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
The fight for the rights and safety of 2SLGBTQIA+ people is not over. We have always been here and will continue to fight until we can all live safely as our authentic selves.