We wanted to share some practices and resources in light of the tragic event in Colorado Springs on November 19 and the ongoing impacts of violence and transphobia in our community. For those of us who are trans, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming—and for our families, loved ones, healthcare providers, and community members—the anxiety, grief, fear, and pain of life lost to violence can feel like a constant presence. We’re here for you, today and every day.
To support you in this time, and in the spirit of holding space for your emotional response to the Colorado Springs attacks and other hateful actions taken against our community, we offer some ways to take care of yourself and the ones you love. This blog post offers five ways to honor your feelings of grief—and suggestions for how to cope with targeted violence against our community throughout the year.
1. Honor the people lost to transphobic violence
Coping with loss, even of a community member you didn’t know personally, can be heartbreaking. The recent hate-driven attacks in Colorado Springs have hit close to home for many of us. Take time to honor, name, and remember the trans people killed by violence specifically aimed at our community.
Honoring those who have died might look like lighting a candle, speaking their names out loud, learning more about their stories, or donating to their funeral expenses or to causes that were dear to them.
2. Connect in a safe space to share your emotions and experiences
Vigils, protests, and other events can be triggering. Those of us who have survived violence or lost someone we loved may feel activated. Sensitive emotional support can help you cope with the feelings and fears you might experience this week.
Moving through pain, fear, and grief can look like sharing stories with a trusted friend, talking about our experiences with a mental health practitioner, writing letters to policy makers, or accessing community spaces online.
While attacks against our community and the emotions that come with them can feel overwhelming, Plume is here to be supportive. We are part of your community—and we are here to help you navigate the complex emotions that come You are not alone, and you don’t need to face those feelings by yourself. Reach out to your care team if you need support or call the Trevor Project or Trans Lifeline for help. You are loved, and while you’re here—we’ll be here, too.
3. Attend a vigil or community event
After an attack on our community, many folks join together to mourn and process the loss. This can be in a private home, at a clinic or LGBTQ+ center, in a facilitated group, in public spaces such as parks, or in spiritual sanctuaries. Some organizations hold virtual vigils and some meet in person. At these gatherings, people may:
- Share their stories
- Speak about the people who have died
- Light candles, sing, or play music
- Listen to speeches, prayers, and readings
- Call for justice for victims of violence
- Connect as a community to grieve
Not sure of how to find a vigil or a gathering space in your area? Your local LGBTQ+ center or other local organizations may hold an event this week to honor our losses in Colorado Springs. Plume will also be sharing additional resources on our social media.
4. Make art that is meaningful to you and share it with others
The shock of loss may come with many emotions that extend beyond grief. In your self-care and healing, remember that our community also contains limitless potential. There is immense creative power in all of us.
If you want to honor our community’s losses, you can use your creativity to lift up our stories and our possibilities and point toward freedom for our community. One way to do this is by creating art that reflects your experience. This could look like:
- Writing a poem or story about your emotions
- Bringing friends together to make collages, sympathy cards, or valentines
- Creating a painting of someone or something that inspires you
- Photographing the people you love (including yourself!)
- Drawing and doodling shapes that represent your feelings
The act of creating something beautiful is healing—and can bring people together, while it gives you peace. Some people make posters, signs, or mementoes to share at memorial events and vigils. Others craft beautiful garlands or other gifts to leave at friends’ memorial sites.
If you are looking for inspiration, check out the Trans Day of Resilience art project. It was founded with the Audre Lorde Project in 2014 to be “an annual love offering to trans people of color everywhere.” Their site is a gallery of poetry and images created by community members to celebrate the resilience of our trans family.
5. Take action to support the folks most impacted by violence
In the wake of such a shocking and violence event, we might be overcome with grief, but we might also be motivated to take action. We know that violence against transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people is ongoing and that we all work for a better world in our own ways.
Taking action could look like donating to trans-led organizations, marching or protesting, writing letters to leaders, or working with a mutual aid group to support vulnerable community members. Here are some groups who are doing great work on the front lines in Colorado:
- Support for Club Q families and survivors – This GoFundMe fundraiser helps the people affected by the Colorado Springs killings. Run by a trans woman and community member, all funds will be distributed to pay for funeral costs, gift cards, and basic needs.
- Colorado Springs LGBT Resources – Not sure where to start, but want to help our community in Colorado Springs? The University of Colorado created a list of supports that actively engage with trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse folks in the Colorado Springs area.
- Transformative Freedom Fund – TFF is a trans-run nonprofit organization in Colorado that removes financial barriers to transition-related healthcare. Donations to this group support trans futures in Colorado and strengthen our community there.
- Trans Santa – This group helps match volunteers with unhoused, displaced, and other youth facing challenges. From inspirational cards to holiday gifts, you can volunteer to be Santa for a trans, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming young person.
Our community is resilient. Even in the depths of loss and grief, we take care of us—through compassionate care, emotional support, mutual aid, and a commitment to support our most vulnerable and marginalized members. We continue to resist ignorance, bigotry, and hatred aimed at our community by coming together to speak the truth about transphobia and remember the people taken from us too soon.
