Magic City Equality reacts to Colorado Springs nightclub shooting

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - Magic City Equality, a pride organization based out of Minot, provided a statement to Your News Leader in reaction to the overnight mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, where five people were killed and at least 25 injured.

The group called for protections for the LGBTQ2S+ community, ahead of the coming legislative session.

Here is the full statement from Magic City Equality:

“Almost six and a half years ago, the Pulse nightclub shooting – the deadliest incidence of violence against the LGBTQ2S+ community in the United States – struck fear, anger and panic in the LGBTQ2S+ community.

This morning, as many members of the community around the nation prepared to honor our transgender brothers and sisters at Transgender Day of Remembrance vigils, we were enveloped with those feelings yet again. At least five people are dead and 25 people were injured in a senseless attack that was no doubt an attack on the LGBTQ2S+ community.

How long will the LGBTQ2S+ community continue to have targets on our backs? We are not clay pigeons for target practice. We are people.

Magic City Equality believes that the recent epidemic of anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric and laws directly contributed to the violence which took place in Colorado Springs last night. We must continue to help fight these types of beliefs from systematically erasing our community, freedoms and rights.

With the legislative session coming up in North Dakota, Magic City Equality demands and expects protections over the LGBTQ2S+ community, rather than legislators turning a blind eye. We encourage our brothers and sisters inside and outside the community to no longer be silent, but to instead join us in demanding the same protections as any heterosexual cisgender peers.”

-Magic City Equality Executive Board