URI community mourns five dead, stands with LGBTQ community
URI GSC holds vigil to honor lives lost in Colorado LGBTQ+ nightclub mass shooting. PHOTO CREDIT: nytimes.com
The University of Rhode Island community has come together in response to a mass shooting that injured over 20 people and killed five people at Club Q, a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Saturday, Nov. 19.
URI’s Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) held a virtual vigil and gathering for those impacted by the shooting at Club Q on Nov. 22 over Zoom and an in-person vigil and rally on the Quad on Nov. 28 to recognize the victims of the shooting. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime targeted against the LGBTQ+ community.
At the virtual vigil, Annie Russell, director of the GSC, introduced Kyle Parker, a trans and queer Buddhist monk, who spoke last week at the University as a keynote speaker for trans awareness week and came to the vigil to offer support to the community.
“My deep encouragement right now is just be aware of where you are,” Parker said.“Be aware of where your feet are touching the floor. Be aware of how you feel the floor supporting your feet. You can use that as an anchor if there’s a moment where something seems like it’s just kind of overwhelming. All experiences, all emotions, all things coming up, they’re welcome here.”
Russell recognized the people who were injured and spoke about each of the five people who lost their lives that night.
Derrick Wayne Rump, 38, used he/him pronouns and was a bartender at Club Q. According to Gay Times, his friends say he will be remembered for his humor, supportiveness and empathy.
Daniel Aston, 28, used he/him pronouns and was also a bartender at Club Q with Rump and recently celebrated his top surgery, according to Gay Times.
Ashley Paugh, 35, used she/her pronouns and worked for Kids Crossing, a nonprofit that looks to help find homes for foster children, according to Gay Times. She leaves behind her husband and 11-year-old daughter.
Kelly Loving, 40, used she/her pronouns and was a trans woman on a weekend break from Denver, according to Gay Times. Her sister told The New York Times that she was a kind person who always put the needs of others first.
Raymond Green Vance, 22, used he/him pronouns and had been celebrating a friend’s birthday that night. Vance had just gotten a new job and was saving for his own apartment, according to Gay Times.
Russell mentioned Richard M. Fierro, 45, a veteran who uses he/him pronouns and tackled the shooter at Club Q while at the club with his family. Russell also mentioned a trans woman who was at the club, who, although unidentified, assisted Fierro in stopping the shooter.
Parker spoke about the different types of grief that people often deal with after a traumatic event like this.
“Sometimes you’ll feel numbness,” Parker said. “Sometimes there’s going to be anger. Sometimes it’s just going to be weeping. Sometimes it’s going to be crying. Another thing to be aware of, everybody grieves in their own way. Everybody’s going to have a different experience of it. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve.”
After allowing community members to share their personal feelings about the shooting, Russell then talked about her current emotions.
“I feel really violated,” Russell said. “And it took me right back to the morning after the Pulse shooting. One of the things about queer spaces and bars, nightclubs, in particular, is that they are spaces where historically, we have often had to be relegated to find safety.”
Cory Clark, director of the Counseling Center, encouraged students to come to the Center if they are struggling with this event.
“The Counseling Center is available to students as part of their student services fees, so it’s free,” Clark said. “We provide individual and group counseling, We have a very well-attended women’s LGBTQ+ group that has been successful for many years, and we’d love to be supportive and helpful in any way that we can.”
The speakers encouraged anyone to reach out to talk if they need support at [email protected] for Russell or https://web.uri.edu/counseling/ for the Counseling Center’s website.