Club owner sees ‘new kind of hate’ against LGBTQ people
Court hearing after brutal attack at US nightclub
The first details about the alleged perpetrator have emerged since the horrific attack at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. He describes himself as a non-binary person, so he doesn’t clearly identify as either male or female.
After the massacre at a queer club in the US state of Colorado, the motive of the accused remains unclear. One of the co-owners sees the act as an expression of a radical anti-LGBTQ movement.
EA co-owner of Colorado nightclub Q has lamented a “new breed of hate” after five deadly shootings at the facility’s patrons and staff. A gunman turned a drag queen’s birthday party there into a massacre on Saturday, killing five and injuring 17 others. Co-owner Nic Grzecka said he believes the Colorado Springs incident reflects strong anti-LGBTQ sentiment. The English acronym LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer People.
Speaking to the Associated Press Thursday night, Grzecka said she believes the attack on a drag queen event has to do with the art form being misrepresented by right-wing activists and politicians. . “Lying about our community and making it not exist creates a new kind of hatred,” he said.
Authorities have not yet said why the gunman opened fire at the club before being attacked by guests. The 22-year-old suspect did not comment during his first court appearance Wednesday. His father, a mixed martial artist and porn star, told CBS affiliate KFMB-TV that his first thought was why his child, with whom he had little connection, had come to a gay bar.
Krekka said he hopes to channel his grief and anger into figuring out how to rebuild a support system for Colorado Springs’ LGBTQ community, where the club has served as a haven for nearly two decades. Everyone needs community, he said. Club Q was open 365 days a year.
Offers of support came from city and state officials. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden offered their condolences on Thursday for Kreska and co-owner Matthew Haynes. They also underscored their support and commitment to fighting hate and gun violence.
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