To the LGBTQ+ community of Colorado Springs, Club Q was not just a bar. It was community. It was safety. It was a place to be your authentic self without judgment. It was home. As other gay bars and clubs opened and closed, Club Q persevered, bolstered by the love and support it found in a small community that came to feel more like family. Every person visiting Club Q left with a rainbow of acceptance and good memories on their heart.

This week has been particularly hard for our community and especially the Club Q family. We want answers. We want to know how this happened, and we want the strength and knowledge to pick up the pieces and move forward, as individuals mourning our fallen friends and as a community made stronger and brought together by this tragedy.

And while LGBTQ+ youths in Colorado Springs remain well-resourced and supported, we sadly lack the same for LGBTQ+ adults. In fact, we have not had an LGBTQ+ Center in Colorado Springs since 2015. When we, the organizers of Pikes Peak Pride, came together in early 2022, one of the long-term dreams of our newly formed committee was to oversee the creation of a new Pride Center with services, connectivity and resources offered to LGBTQ+ adults in Southern Colorado. But first, we had an event to put on. It would be the first in-person Pride event for Colorado Springs since 2019.

The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ community and its allies met us with incredible response: More than 10,000 people from all around southern Colorado attended our 2022 Pikes Peak Pride event to celebrate with us and “Flaunt their Pride.” Starting from scratch after the pandemic to bring together a community spread thin and tired from two years of anxiety and isolation was no easy task. But one thing stands loud and clear: Pride is here to stay and it must continue; our LGBTQ+ community not only expects this of us, it’s vital to their existence, now more than ever.

Meanwhile, momentum toward the worthwhile goal of more resources for LGBTQ+ adults has been slow for our 100% volunteer team, all of whom have regular jobs in addition to the hours of work we put in on behalf of Pride.

However, the violent desecration of our safe space shows just how far we need to go — and how much we need Pride. The depth of our community’s tragedy this week has shone a bright light on the holes where services are missing in our community and where individuals are most in need of our help.

We can wait no longer. Pikes Peak Pride is committed to the longterm process of building a new resource network, perhaps a center, for LGBTQ+ adults in Colorado Springs. Our committee has joined forces with local and national organizations to ensure that we have the plans, expertise, and of course, a pathway to initial funding and a sustainable strategy in place to maintain our momentum.

The time for change and progress of our LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs is now.

Although we will continue to mourn, the eyes of the world are upon us, and the nation seeks to help. There is no better time to seize the chance for a new start, to honor those we have lost.

Please join us. Between identifying stakeholders, pinpointing key services, developing a blueprint and business plan, and fundraising, the work is just beginning, and we would love to have you in our corner. Please reach out to us at info@ pikespeakpride.org to pledge your help and support of a plan for adult LGBTQ+ resources in Colorado Springs.

Whether you want to help spread the word, help us raise funds, or simply be a part of the conversation, we would love to hear from you. Our community is stronger together, and only by working together can we make our dream a reality.