Colorado Springs voted 3 to 1 in favor of Amendment 2, helping make its narrow statewide victory possible. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Focus on the Family has nearly 700 employees who workSee this and similar jobs on LinkedIn. Two friends, Derrick Rump and Daniel Aston, helped him land the job at Club Q and find his queer family in his new hometown. It also accuses the evangelical group of conducting "conversion therapy" and claiming anti-bullying campaigns in schools promote homosexuality. In recent decades the population has almost doubled to 480,000 people. A person pauses to pay respects at a makeshift memorial in November 2022, near Club Q. Joshua Thurman, who was in the club at the time of the shooting, reacts on Sunday. The alleged shooter, whose defense attorneys have said uses they/them pronouns, ran a website and posted several videos of other mass shootings, including ones at synagogues and mosques mainly in Europe, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department's Rebecca Joines, the lead detective on the case. But many trans people dont use their legal names, even though many still use IDs that incorrectly list their name and gender. Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs, Colorado, headquarters was vandalized on Thanksgiving with a message blaming the group for a recent mass 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. The suspect accused of killing five people in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs ran a neo-Nazi website and used anti-gay slurs, a police detective testified on Wednesday. Photo by Isaiah J. Downing/Reuters. The names of the Club Q shooting victims are displayed as mourners hold a candlelight vigil outside the State Capitol building on November 23, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The errors taught by transgender activists, and believed by many today, are likewise a result of sin and deception entering into the world. This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate. The accused, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was also injured and taken to a local hospital. Club Q owner says Colorado Alex Clemons and his daughter Epifania pay their respects at a makeshift memorial near Club Q on Sunday. People pay their respects at a memorial display set up to remember the five victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Tuesday, November 22. Newcomers began lobbying for policies like getting rid of school Halloween celebrations due to suspicions about the holidays pagan origins. 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.". We will never, ever, ever stop being who we are, Vigil tweeted. Published / Joines also said that the suspect sent a photo of a rifle scope over a Pride parade to someone else over Discord. It is no accident that this happened in Colorado Springs, a city steeped in homophobia, transphobia, and white supremacy.. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly condemned the shooting on the day it occurred. On the night of the shooting, the suspect arrived at Club Q around 10:14 p.m. and stayed for just a few minutes before leaving and coming back inside with guns, including an assault-style rifle, she said. It is important to us that you understand why Focus on the Family must be held accountable for the ramifications of their hateful theology, the statement adds, pointing to the organisations support for legislation targeting transgender people, its falsified research and support for so-called conversation therapy. "Their blood is on your hands five lives taken," the message read. The median age is 35. We have to deal with this psychologically, physically. Someone spray-painted the sign in front of the Colorado Springs-based Christian organization. Focus on the Family is privileged to be one of many organizations in our city positioned to help and support the needs of struggling individuals and families. In the 1940s, military bases arrived. 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. 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. She is now running to become Denvers mayor. 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. Much like in the 1990s, Focus on the Family and New Life Church remain prominent in town. We will not take violence against our community and our families lying down.. More than one-third of residents are nonwhite twice as many as in 1980. Im a woman in a mans body is just one example of the effect of sin in our world. The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday nights senseless attack are in our prayers. Five lives taken, reads the graffiti on the brick Focus on the Family sign, which outside its facility off Briargate Parkway in north Colorado Springs. To be sure, most people share varying degrees of personal information with family, co-workers, friends, and other acquaintances and that is, perhaps, especially true of people in the LGBTQ community. But as the praying carried on and the woman urged May and her friend to turn to God, she felt as if praying had turned into preying. Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing five and injuring 25 others. 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. 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. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Focus on the Family is the target of graffiti referencing the Club Q shooting. The department also told ProPublica it would create an LGBTQ liaison program. / AP writers Brittany Peterson and Jesse Bedayn in Colorado Springs contributed. 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. 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. An estimated 5 million Americans tune into its weekly radio program, which is broadcast by more than 2,500 stations around the world. Jessi Hazelward wipes a tear from her friend Amanda Grueschow's face during a vigil in Colorado Springs on Sunday. Seals hugs Carter Rodriguez outside the All Souls Unitarian Church. But the shooting at Club Q only reinforced a commitment to defending LGBTQ constituents, Vigil said. Five people died, and at least 18 others were wounded. Sam Metz, Associated Press When you pump that demoralizing rhetoric into the atmosphere, when you supercharge the political environment to make it as hostile as possible toward LGBTQ people, someone has to pay the price, he told CNNs Jim Acosta on Sunday. At a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Regardless of motive, I condemn the demonic violence ruling inside the heart of the shooter in the Colorado Springs nightclub, Klingenschmitt wrote on Facebook on Nov. 20. (Icons, a downtown bar with singing staff, opened a year later in 2021.). With the city under the national spotlight, he said the organization wanted to make it clear it stands against hate. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Colorado Springs once had a reputation as an unwelcoming place for LGBTQ residents. He said the horrific event exposes the evil and wickedness inside the We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual, said Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, in a Friday statement. Politics here lean more conservative than in comparable-size cities. 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. A non-profit worker with a 'huge heart.' Police told 11 News partner The Gazette that the statement was spray-painted at some point during the wee hours of Thursday morning. (KKTV) The incident comes as Colorado Springs continues to grieve the senseless loss of life at Club Q nearly one week ago. Wilson rounds out the article by quoting drag queens who claim there is a new atmosphere of confrontation and hostility at child-friendly performances around the state.. 5 hospitalized following a shooting on east, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , 5 hospitalized following a shooting on east side of Colorado Springs Tuesday evening, Pueblo County deputies shoot, kill man after shots fired near elementary school, Aurora police ask for publics help in identifying suspects in Christmas Eve double homicide, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, Letters: Proposed age limit for gun ownership in Colorado doesnt make sense, Sheriff: Armed suspect in barricade incident in El Paso County is shot, hospitalized, Off-duty Denver police officer hits, kills man walking on road, Three Summit School District staffers and a former employee face failure to report child abuse investigation, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, Coloradans may have another chance to see the northern lights Monday night, Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park -- again, Price of gas in Colorado has risen 51% since Suncor's refinery shutdown in late December. November 29, 2022, Vandals targeted Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs headquarters two days after the Southern Poverty Law Center mentioned the Christian organization in an article tying the Club Q shooting to "anti-LGBTQ hate." COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Five people were hospitalized following a shooting on the east side of Colorado Springs on Tuesday evening. Shortly after the message was discovered, a Gazette photographer found the sign covered in a plastic sheet. It is unclear if anyone has died as a result of the shooting or if there are more victims involved. Left: 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. Club Q shooting suspect ordered held without bond in first court appearance, Amid Club Q shooting carnage, this survivor received a tender kiss, PHOTOS: Mourning continues two days after Club Q shooting, Off-duty Denver police officer hits, kills man walking on road, Pueblo County deputies shoot, kill man after shots fired near elementary school, Three Summit School District staffers and a former employee face failure to report child abuse investigation, Aurora police ask for publics help in identifying suspects in Christmas Eve double homicide, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, Coloradans may have another chance to see the northern lights Monday night, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park -- again, Price of gas in Colorado has risen 51% since Suncor's refinery shutdown in late December. In 2016 she became the first openly LGBTQ and Black person elected to Colorados General Assembly, representing part of Denver. Its headquarters have been in Colorado Springs since 1991. 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. The amendment passed, and Colorado earned the nickname the hate state, according to the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/colorado-springs-reckons-with-past-after-club-q-shooting, Club Q owner says Colorado Springs shooting comes amid a new type of hate, Six killed when employee opens fire inside Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, Why far-right groups are increasingly targeting the LGBTQ community, Prosecutors pursue hate crime charges in Colorado LGBTQ nightclub shooting. 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. Springs police say they do not have any suspects in the vandalism. A bartender who found a place to shine. The organization states on its website that it believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and in 2014 spoke out against adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to non-discrimination laws, citing concerns about conflicts with religious liberties. People link hands at the memorial near Club Q in Colorado Springs. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Colorado Springs shooting: Club Q owners blame new type of hate as suspect held without bond, Ex-Trump lawyer says Colorado Springs victims are reaping the consequences of having eternal damnation, Mass shooting at LGBT+ club follows wave of threats to drag performers and venues, Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich seen for first time in court, Influential anti-gay evangelical group vandalised after mass shooting, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 15% off selected items using this eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. It was more welcoming than the rural part of Florida where he grew up. Focus on the Family is privileged to be one of many organizations in our city positioned to help and support the needs of struggling individuals and families. Now hes grieving the loss of Rump and Aston, both of whom were slain in the club shooting. 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. Five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. Wilson does not mention that Gordon Klingenschmitt, who runs the Pray in Jesus Name Project, condemned the shooting. In 2019, Brandon Ragan, one of the departments LGBTQ liaisons, told WMFE, Orlandos public radio station, that the department had made mistakes in its investigation into Gardens death and would learn from them going forward. The message reads: "Their blood is on your hands. 2. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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.. WebAt about 1:00 p.m. MST (20:00 UTC), more than thirty minutes after the 11:00 a.m. sermon had ended at New Life Church, Murray opened fire in the church parking lot with a Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much "We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual. A general view of Club Q as police respond to the shooting. Stephen Groves, Associated Press. She suffered a gunshot wound to her face and her leg while her daughter was shot in the upper leg. On Wednesday, defense attorneys brought up the suspect's gender identity and sexuality, saying that they told James, "My mom will not accept me because I'm gay, you're all the same.". The nonprofit organization has an evangelical focus. Club Q had been considered a safe haven for LGBTQ people in the conservative community of Colorado Springs. She testified that she believes the suspect modeled the Club Q shooting after the shootings they posted on their neo-Nazi website. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton joined The Denver Post in January 2022 as a business reporter, focusing her coverage on social inequities in business. WebColorado Springs nightclub shooting. Law enforcement agencies have not revealed Anderson Lee Aldrichs alleged motive, but the clubs owners and LGBT+ advocates have condemned a surge of inflammatory anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric and politicised harassment from right-wing and religious figures and Republican officials in the weeks and months that preceded the attack. The suspect was apprehended by club patrons Richard Fierro and Thomas James as well as an unnamed trans woman, and later arrested by police. For some, merely seeing police being careful to refer to the victims using their correct pronouns this week signaled a seismic change. CNN has reached out to the sheriffs office for comment.). We still have to live with the nightmares, the PTSD, Priester-Collins explained. 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. It feels like the city is kind of at this tipping point, said Candace Woods, a queer minister and chaplain who has called Colorado Springs home for 18 years. The incident comes as Colorado Springs continues to grieve the senseless loss of life at Club Q nearly one week ago. A lot of people here know Club Q as being that safe haven., Paige Skinner is a breaking news reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles. A suspect, who was reportedly tackled by club patrons before police arrived, remains jailed without bond. Jessy Smith Cruz embraces Jadzia Dax McClendon in Colorado Springs on Sunday. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. Read the full story on the Denver Channels website. Police did not announce the Club Q shooting suspects motive, but they face five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, court records show. Join the millions of people who benefit from The Daily Signals fair, accurate, trustworthy reporting with direct access to: Dont have time to read the Washington Post or New York Times? apprehended by club patrons Richard Fierro and Thomas James, comes from a conservative Republican family, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. The shooting happened just after 7 p.m. at the Alta Convenience Store near the intersection of Palmer Park Boulevard and Potter Drive. Contrary to SPLC insinuations, groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council dont hate LGBT people or wish them dead. Both women spent weeks inside hospital rooms recovering. Learn more about Willis here. 1 killed in northeast Colorado Springs car crash, marking the 10th traffic fatality of 2023, Serious crash along Highway 24 on the west side of Colorado Springs Tuesday afternoon, WATCH - Colorado grocery and convenience stores to sell wine, Standoff near Pueblo County elementary school ends with suspect shot, Springs restaurant holding fundraiser for fallen Fountain police officer. Below you will find contact information and answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Gazette. She said yes. A rainbow flag is draped over the Colorado Springs City Hall on Wednesday, November 23, in honor of the victims of Club Q mass shooting. Hours & Location Hours: Mon Fri : 9am 5:30pm Sat: 9am 5pm Closed Sunday Address: 8685 Explorer Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1051 Phone: (719)-531-3464 E-mail: Bookstore.Associate@fotf.org Available Products Adventures in That includes adultery, biblical manhood, dating, marriage crisis, homosexuality, and sexual identity. The Human Rights Campaign reports that the organisation and its leaders continue to promote many dangerous ideas, practices and programs that cause real harm to LGBT+ people and their families. WebPosted 6:25:16 PM. The Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family is a proponent of family and moral values. But even departments in cities with sizable LGBTQ populations, such as the Orange County Sheriffs Department in central Florida, can be careless in their interactions with LGBTQ victims and witnesses: In 2018, when investigating the death of Sasha Garden, a Black trans woman, the sheriffs office misgendered her and used descriptions that LGBTQ advocates said were damaging, the Orlando Sentinel reported. "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.". appreciated. Aldrich, who according to his attorneys identifies as non-binary, comes from a conservative Republican family. Herod and others who have been around long enough are remembering this week how in the 1990s, at the height of the religious rights influence, the Colorado Springs-based group Colorado for Family Values spearheaded a statewide push to pass Amendment 2 and make it illegal for communities to pass ordinances protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. Legal names, even though many still use IDs that incorrectly list name... Radio program, which is broadcast by more than 2,500 stations around the world social inequities in business loss Rump! Aston, both of whom were slain in the upper leg victory possible writers Brittany Peterson and Jesse Bedayn Colorado... Clemons and his focus on the family colorado springs shooting Epifania pay their respects at a makeshift memorial near Club Q as police to... It was more welcoming than the rural part of Denver a suspect, who runs Pray. Non-Binary, comes from a conservative Republican Family spreading of hate lives taken, '' the reads... 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