In an article by The Gazette, police confirmed a message was spray-painted in black paint onto a Focus on the Family sign at the ministry's headquarters in Colorado Springs. The median age is 35. The retired Army major was one of the men who. It's an apparent reference to the mass shooting at the gay nightclub, Club Q, where five people died Saturday night. Introducing the victims as they lived was a way to represent them with compassion and dignity, Castro told CNN. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, is accused of opening fire Saturday in Club Q, a popular LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. To sound off, please emailletters@DailySignal.comand well consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular We Hear You feature. Before the vandalism, numerous news outlets and left-leaning personalities had cited Focus on the Familys conservative Christian stances on homosexual activity while reporting on the shooting. Jeremy, right, comforts his partner Anthony, one of the survivors wounded in the mass shooting at Club Q, at Centura Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs on Tuesday. Try the Morning Bell and get the days most important news and commentary from a team committed to the truth in formats that respect your timeand your intelligence. @Tyler2ONeil, Tyler O'Neil is managing editor of The Daily Signal and the author of "Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center.". Joines also testified that the suspect had used anti-gay slurs in the past, calling their apartment property manager a "faggot" after they had an argument over the suspect not getting their mail. Focus on the Family is also listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center among Christian ministries and lobbying groups that comprise the hard core of the anti-gay movement and a primary driver of the religious rights anti-gay crusade.. Although it is not clear if the suspect had a connection with the organization, the conservative Christian ministry group is known for its anti-LGBTQ messaging. "We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry's property.". It is no surprise that someone did this in the city that is home to such a hateful organization as Focus on the Family.. Will that affect potential hate crime charges? Evidence markers are placed where a victim was found near Club Q. Paige H., Tyler Johnston, Keenan Mestas-Holmes and Altas Pretzeus embrace while paying their respects at a memorial in Colorado Springs on Sunday. Five people died, and at least 18 others were wounded. Instead, the SPLC illustrated how some on the Left smear political opponents, even when they have nothing to do with the crime at issue. We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry's property.". COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Focus on the Family is the target of graffiti referencing the Club Q shooting. Five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate. Shortly after the message was discovered, a Gazette photographer found the sign covered in a plastic sheet. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Their blood is on your hands, vandals spray-painted at the Colorado Springs headquarters of Focus on the Family. Police, media and public officials have a responsibility to lead with respect, said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign senior vice president for programs, research and training, in a statement to CNN. Despite the suspects identifying as nonbinary and going by Mx. She suffered a gunshot wound to her face and her leg while her daughter was shot in the upper leg. Heres What We Know About The Victims Of The Shooting At A Gay Club In Colorado Springs, LGBTQ People Turned To Club Q For Safe Haven And Community Before The Deadly Colorado Springs Shooting. @Tyler2ONeil This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate, Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, said in a statement shared with The Independent. In 2016 she became the first openly LGBTQ and Black person elected to Colorados General Assembly, representing part of Denver. appreciated. Using the right name seems less like a thoughtful gesture than an obvious sign of respect for a victim and their loved ones. Have an opinion about this article? 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Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministrys property.. The hearing is scheduled to continue through Friday, when a judge will rule if there is enough evidence to take the case which includes more than 300 charges to trial. Adrian Vasquez, chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department, made an effort to use the right names and pronouns for the victims killed at Club Q. (In a Monday press conference identifying the victims, department representatives refrained from using gender-specific pronouns to describe the suspect. Some called the city an epicenter of organized homophobia. Among these, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a leftist organization notorious for demonizing conservative Christians who oppose the LGBT agenda, named Focus in an article tying anti-LGBTQ hate to the shooting. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Focus on the Family is the target of graffiti referencing the Club Q shooting. More than one-third of residents are nonwhite twice as many as in 1980. "Not bad enough," another tweeted about the vandalism. Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing five and injuring 25 others. Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida press secretary and a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting, said the killings at Club Q were the result of years of hateful rhetoric toward LGBTQ people. A non-profit worker with a 'huge heart.' Michael Robert Travis performs taps while his husband, Michael Travis, films on his phone near Club Q on Sunday. (KKTV) The incident comes as Colorado Springs continues to grieve the senseless loss of life at Club Q nearly one week ago. Some trans people dont seek to change their legal names on identifying documents because of economic or logistical barriers, according to the ACLU. The Family Research Institutewhich reported only $50,000 in revenue in 2021appears not to have addressed the shooting. Whereas Focus on the Family published literature in decades past assailing what it called the Homosexual Agenda, its messaging now emphasizes tolerance, ensuring those who believe marriage should be between one man and one woman have the right to act accordingly. People attend a vigil at Temple Beit Torah in Colorado Springs on Sunday, November 20. Heres why its harmful to misgender LGBTQ victims of crime, and why its important that Colorado Springs police took steps to honor LGBTQ advocates wishes and treat the Club Q victims with sensitivity and respect. Newsweek has reached out to the Colorado Springs Police Department for comment. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) When officials unfurled a 25-foot rainbow flag in front of Colorado Springs City Hall this week, people gathered to mourn the victims of a mass shooting at a popular gay club couldnt help but reflect on how such a display of support would have been unthinkable just days earlier. Outside the scene of a shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs in 2015. The shooting at Club Q occurred at a time when anti-LGBTQ sentiment continues to flare across the US. Refusing to acknowledge someones humanity in death adds insult to injury, according to GLAAD, compounding the tragedy by invalidating the persons lived reality.. In one of the organization's PDF handouts, Focus on the Family writes: "The Bible also teaches that sin has entered the world and affects every area of life. The errors taught by transgender activists, and believed by many today, are likewise a result of sin and deception entering into the world. 2023 Cable News Network. Many police departments lack training or specific policies for interacting with LGBTQ residents, according to a report on policing and LGBTQ people by the National LGBT HIV Criminal Justice Working Group, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Transgender Equality. The "Sacred Cloth" Pride Flag is displayed following a ceremony at City Hall after a mass shooting at LGBTQ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministrys property., A Twitter account called colorado peoples press, which has thousands of followers, on Thanksgiving evening posted photos of the graffiti and a letter signed by members of the Front Range queer community., Focus on the family vandalized in response to the club q murders in Colorado Springs THEIR BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDSFIVE LIVES TAKEN, A press release and report back from those who completed this direct action: pic.twitter.com/LszpJrTmzX, colorado peoples press (@colpeoplespress) November 25, 2022, Before proceeding we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge that we acted without consent from the families of these people, the anonymous letter stated. We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual, part of a statement from Focus on the Family President Jim Daly reads. Survivors and victims' family members were in court on Wednesday. It also causes disconnection and brokenness within. Their blood is on your hands and five lives taken were spray-painted onto the sign following Saturday nights mass shooting in Colorado Springs at Club Q. This community, just like any other community in the country, is complex, she said. But I will also acknowledge that I chose to leave the Springs because I felt like when it came to the elected leadership, the vocal leadership in this community, it wasnt supportive of all people, wasnt supportive of Black people, wasnt supportive of immigrants, not supportive of LGBTQ people, Herod said at a memorial event downtown. Not for the "stupid price" of $150 an acre foot. Denver Broncos staff members and fans observe a moment of silence Sunday for the shooting victims. Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs, Colorado, headquarters was vandalized on Thanksgiving with a message blaming the group for a recent mass shooting that killed five people and injured 18 others. Richard Fierro speaks during a news conference outside his Colorado Springs home on Monday, November 21. Located in the shadow of the southern Rocky Mountains, the Colorado city of nearly 500,000 residents is home to five nearby military bases and the staunchly anti With a growing and diversifying population, the city nestled at the foothills of the Rockies is a patchwork of disparate social and cultural fabrics. Police said there was no information about who might have vandalized the sign, according to The Gazette. Ren Kurgis, left, and Jessie Pacheco leave flowers Sunday at the growing memorial in Colorado Springs. 2:27 PM EST, Wed November 23, 2022. Police told 11 News partner The Gazette that the statement was spray-painted at some point during the wee hours of Thursday morning. 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Incorrectly identifying a victim can slow down an investigation, confusing people who may have known them by the name they used in everyday life, the outlet reported. The idea of latching onto a city with a bright future is part of what drew Michael Anderson, a bartender at Club Q who survived last weekends shooting, to move here. A Warner Bros. The sign of the Colorado Springs headquarters of the evangelical Christian ministry Focus on the Family was defaced days after a gunman attacked the citys sole LGBTQ+ nightclub. The vandals added, Five lives taken.. We must condemn in the strongest terms possible the taking of innocent life., After the vandalism, Daly said the shootings aftermath should be a time of prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate., The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday nights senseless attack are in our prayers, Daly added in a public statement. Published WebFocus on the Family - Visit Colorado Springs Home Focus on the Family 8605 Explorer Dr | Colorado Springs, CO | 80920 Main: (719) 531-3400 Map Website Overview Focus on the Family welcomes visitors to the ministry's Welcome Center in Colorado Springs. ", The article is written by Jeff Johnston. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. These attacks should come as no surprise to those familiar with this leftist groups political tactics. Politics here lean more conservative than in comparable-size cities. / After the shooting, Focus on the Familys president, Jim Daly, said that like the rest of the community he was mourning the tragedy. The Orange County Sheriffs Department did not immediately respond to CNNs request for comment on their handling of Gardens case. Law enforcement says a gunman I have been thinking for years, were in the middle of a transition about what Colorado Springs is, who we are, and what weve become, said Matt Mayberry, a historian who directs the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Focus on the Family headquarters sign vandalized in wake of Club Q shooting. It unearthed memories of hearing things about LGBTQ people she saw as hateful and inciting. (Icons, a downtown bar with singing staff, opened a year later in 2021.). People visit a makeshift memorial Monday on a corner near the site of the mass shooting. With the city under the national spotlight, he said the organization wanted to make it clear it stands against hate. Anderson Lee Aldrich in court documents, many on the Left blamed conservatives and Christians for the attack, and vandals targeted one prominent conservative Christian group in the city. It goes on to claim, "Transgender-identified and gender dysphoric individuals are not necessarily more dangerous than anyone else. This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate., Focus on the Family defines itself as a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. The organization supports the anti-abortion movement in the abortion debate, and features anti-LGBT+ broadcasts, including Leaving Homosexuality and Finding Forgiveness and Transformed by Grace: Leaving Homosexuality to Follow Christ., The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday nights senseless attack are in our prayers, Daly said. David Zalubowski / AP. Under the resources for homosexuality and sexual identity, there are video links, book recommendations, and more for parents and people looking for a "Christian" perspective. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family. The accused, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was also injured and taken to a local hospital. Contrary to SPLC insinuations, groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council dont hate LGBT people or wish them dead. Vandals spray-painted the Focus on the Family building in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. Newcomers began lobbying for policies like getting rid of school Halloween celebrations due to suspicions about the holidays pagan origins. A Pride flag wraps around the altar during a vigil Monday at First Congregational Church in Colorado Springs. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Phylisha Priester-Collins, her daughter and a friend were inside Club Q when gunfire interrupted their lives and changed their perspectives, forever. People pay their respects at a memorial display set up to remember the five victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But that may be irrelevant in court; as the Associated Press noted, hate crime laws focus on the victims, not the perpetrators. Below you will find contact information and answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Gazette. Stephen Groves, Associated Press. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Vandals defaced a sign outside a local Christian ministry Thursday, accusing the organization of complicity in the horrific massacre at an LGBTQ+ nightclub. "We'd encourage you not to allow yourself to get locked into that category. Colorado Springs Club Q survivor shot in the face shares her story. Priester-Collins is sharing her story only now as the suspected shooters preliminary trial begins because she says shes worried this community is forgetting them with such a focus on the suspected shooter. Law enforcement says a gunman went into the establishment late on the night of Nov. 19 and opened fire, killing five and injuring 18 before he was taken down by a couple of patrons. Sam Metz, Associated Press In a 2018 analysis, ProPublica found that in 74 out of 85 cases of murders of trans people, law enforcement agencies referred to the victims by the wrong name and gender. 4 min read. In an article published on Focus on the Family's website in 2016, it writes that "Gender Identity Laws Place Everyone at Risk." We still have to live with the nightmares, the PTSD, Priester-Collins explained. Still, he noted signs that the city was more culturally conservative than others of similar size and much of Colorado: Colorado Springs is kind of an outlier, he said. It is hard. PUBLISHED: February 22, 2023 at 9:05 a.m. | UPDATED: February 22, 2023 at 9:06 a.m. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Five people were hospitalized Its headquarters have been in Colorado Springs since 1991. They merely follow the Bibles teaching on homosexual activity and gender, along with Jesus instructions to preach the Gospel and build up the church. It was a safe space for the LGBTQ community of Colorado Springs, Club Q was Colorado Springs only remaining gay bar at the time of Flanerys piece. Ron DeSantis; and state laws protecting children from controversial transgender medical interventions, Wilson turns to address Anti-LGBTQ Hate in Colorado. He claims that far-right figures actively spread smears, conspiracy theories, and falsehoods about LGBTQ people in the months leading up to Saturdays mass shooting.. "We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual. Club Q had been considered a safe haven for LGBTQ people in the conservative community of Colorado Springs. A man is comforted while crying at a makeshift memorial on Monday near the site of a mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs. Left: Though it was later ruled unconstitutional, the campaign cemented the citys reputation, drawing more like-minded groups and galvanizing progressive activists in response. The organization's website has numerous "resources" for sexuality. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Someone spray-painted the sign in front of the Advocates say that when law enforcement or the media misgender a crime victim, it can add trauma and pain to a community that is already grieving. Below you will find contact information and answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Gazette. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? Instead of relying on IDs or legal identifiers, Vasquez and the police department communicated with victims families through victim advocates, who provided the names and pronouns by which their loved ones were known, Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Pamela Castro told CNN in an email. The families of the five individuals killed inSaturday night's senseless attack are in our prayers. 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