Club Q: LGBTQ+ venue in Colorado Springs to reopen after mass shooting
Club Q has announced plans to reopen almost three months after a mass shooting left five dead at the Colorado Springs nightclub.
“Our goal and intention has always been to return Club Q as a safe space for the Colorado Springs LGBTQIA+ community and [we] will continue to tirelessly work toward that effort,” said part of a statement posted to the venue’s Instagram on 13 February.
Initial design concepts are expected to be delivered to Club Q’s management in the next four to six weeks, with the nightclub “on track to fully reopen by the fall of this year.”
To make this a reality, the venue is collaborating with the city and a local woman-owned architecture firm called HB&A.
Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump were all killed at Club Q on 19 November last year, with a permanent standing tribute for the victims set to be installed as part of the venue’s redesign.
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“Their memories will be carried forward and honored forever, while we work to make Club Q a forever home for our LGBTQIA+ community,” the venue’s statement continued.
There will also be “enhanced security measures” implemented, including new screening technology and a hardened space.
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Two of the shooting’s survivors have joined Club Q’s staff and will be assisting management with the rebuilding efforts and community relations, among other things.
More details about this are expected later in the year.
“We are working very hard to bring our home back”
Matthew Haynes, the founding owner of Club Q, assured patrons that the team is “working very hard” to bring the city’s only LGBTQ+ nightclub back.
“We look forward to being able to gather as one community again,” he continued.
READ MORE: Club Q shooting: Tributes pour in after Colorado officials identify victims
Funds to begin rebuilding will come from the GoFundMe and other fundraising efforts that were launched to help Club Q after the attack.
Elsewhere in the statement, the management team announced plans to start compensating Club Q staff and contractors for wages lost while the venue has been closed.
The post Club Q: LGBTQ+ venue in Colorado Springs to reopen after mass shooting appeared first on GAY TIMES.
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Author: Conor Clark