After the mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs that turned a drag queen’s birthday celebration into a massacre, the conservative community was forced to reckon with its reputation for being unwelcoming to gay, lesbian and transgender people. What motivated the shooter, who didn’t grow up in Colorado Springs and is now serving life in prison, may never be known. But since the attack at Club Q that killed five people and wounded 17 others, Colorado Springs has taken steps to reshape itself as inclusive and welcoming. Yet as the city prepares to gather Sunday to mark the anniversary of the shooting, some LGBTQ+ advocates say work remains.
