Jake Hitch woke up Sunday morning, checked his phone, and his heart sank. He saw the news there was another mass shooting; this one was in Colorado Springs at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub."I was frustrated, confused, and I thought, when is this going to end," Hitch said.According to investigators, a 22-year-old gunman walked inside and opened fire, killing five people and injuring dozens more. Officials described the club's patrons as heroes because they subdued the gunman until police arrived.The horrific tragedy has groups, activists, and allies all rallying together, calling for the attack on the LGBTQ community to end.Pain met with frustration. Hitch, Cincinnati Pride's communication director, cannot stop thinking of the lives impacted. He explained the place where it happened is more than just a nightclub or a where you can get a drink."They are supposed to be spaces for people to be their authentic selves," Hitch said. "It's still not safe enough."Cincinnati Pride board member Sam Bowling describes LGBTQ bars and nightclubs as places for fellowship, community and a safe location where people can meet up."It's this inherent sense of community that you get in the gay bar, and having that be a targeted space makes us feel so vulnerable," Bowling said.The horrific news out of Colorado brought back a stream of painful memories from six years ago at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which killed 49 people and 53 were injured.Shortly after that tragedy, Bowling started working at an LGBTQ bar in Cincinnati. On her first day, the owner showed her where to hide if there was ever a shooting."That was so jarring for me to talk about because we shouldn't have to talk about it," Bowling said. "We should be talking about where the backstock is, not where we can call 911 for a mass shooting. Targeting these spaces feels like a personal attack on our community."Mixology classes and active shooter training are the new normal for LGBTQ bartenders.Behind the bar, for more than two decades Patrick Carnes."Could it happen here? Of course, that's why communities need to stick to each other," Carnes said. "That's why these bars need to exist where we can just go have a good time, be among our kind and not worry about whether or not we're going to make it home and see the morning."Carnes is also a drag entertainer and activist."I love being an active part of my community, not just as a bartender, but as an entertainer as well," Carnes said. "I love the idea that I'm in a unique place to look after my community and care for them in any possible way that I can."If you want to help the LGBTQ community, Carnes suggests having open conversations and educating yourself.For more information about Cincinnati Pride, click here.
Jake Hitch woke up Sunday morning, checked his phone, and his heart sank. He saw the news there was another mass shooting; this one was in Colorado Springs at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub.
"I was frustrated, confused, and I thought, when is this going to end," Hitch said.
According to investigators, a 22-year-old gunman walked inside and opened fire, killing five people and injuring dozens more. Officials described the club's patrons as heroes because they subdued the gunman until police arrived.
The horrific tragedy has groups, activists, and allies all rallying together, calling for the attack on the LGBTQ community to end.
Pain met with frustration. Hitch, Cincinnati Pride's communication director, cannot stop thinking of the lives impacted. He explained the place where it happened is more than just a nightclub or a where you can get a drink.
"They are supposed to be spaces for people to be their authentic selves," Hitch said. "It's still not safe enough."
Cincinnati Pride board member Sam Bowling describes LGBTQ bars and nightclubs as places for fellowship, community and a safe location where people can meet up.
"It's this inherent sense of community that you get in the gay bar, and having that be a targeted space makes us feel so vulnerable," Bowling said.
The horrific news out of Colorado brought back a stream of painful memories from six years ago at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which killed 49 people and 53 were injured.
Shortly after that tragedy, Bowling started working at an LGBTQ bar in Cincinnati. On her first day, the owner showed her where to hide if there was ever a shooting.
"That was so jarring for me to talk about because we shouldn't have to talk about it," Bowling said. "We should be talking about where the backstock is, not where we can call 911 for a mass shooting. Targeting these spaces feels like a personal attack on our community."
Mixology classes and active shooter training are the new normal for LGBTQ bartenders.
Behind the bar, for more than two decades Patrick Carnes.
"Could it happen here? Of course, that's why communities need to stick to each other," Carnes said. "That's why these bars need to exist where we can just go have a good time, be among our kind and not worry about whether or not we're going to make it home and see the morning."
Carnes is also a drag entertainer and activist.
"I love being an active part of my community, not just as a bartender, but as an entertainer as well," Carnes said. "I love the idea that I'm in a unique place to look after my community and care for them in any possible way that I can."
If you want to help the LGBTQ community, Carnes suggests having open conversations and educating yourself.
For more information about Cincinnati Pride, click here.
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