科罗拉多斯普林斯同性恋酒吧周末发生的大规模枪击事件重新引发了一场辩论，即反LGBTQ的政治言论是否会鼓励此类袭击，或者在类似袭击中使用的高能武器随处可得的情况下，是否有助于营造一种敌对环境。
尽管他们还没有确定确切的动机，或者描述任何直接的联系，科罗拉多州当局称嫌疑人已经被起诉五人谋杀案和有偏见的仇恨犯罪。
“这是在全国范围内针对LGBTQ+人群的暴力言论和威胁上升的背景下发生的。我们还不知道的是——虽然我们还不确定这次袭击的动机，但仇恨在这个国家没有一席之地，军用突击步枪也没有，这就是为什么我们将继续推动攻击性武器禁令，”白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔在周二的新闻发布会上说。
袭击发生在11月19日午夜左右，正值跨性别纪念日前夕，该纪念日纪念遭受歧视性暴力的跨性别者。当局称，嫌疑人使用长枪和手枪在俱乐部Q开火，该俱乐部自称是科罗拉多斯普林斯LGBTQ居民的“避风港”。
两党议员对袭击事件做出了回应，其中包括一些民主党人，他们不仅谈到了悲剧本身，还更广泛地谈到了枪支和反同性恋暴力，而这些问题已经成为中期选举期间国家政治舞台上的首要问题。
国会LGBTQ+平等核心小组主席、直布罗陀民主党众议员戴维·西利林发布了一份声明周日谴责“仇恨和枪支暴力的双重流行”
“LGBTQ+俱乐部通常是我们社区的避难所和肯定的地方，然而，本应是安全的空间再次成为暴力和致命袭击的目标，”他说。“我们知道，在这个国家，仇恨和获得枪支的有害结合会导致致命的后果。”
悲剧发生在国会最坚定的枪支权利倡导者之一共和党众议员劳伦·博贝特的后院发微博为大规模枪击事件的受害者祈祷，这让民主党人非常愤怒，他们说她过去关于LGBTQ+社区的言论导致了这次袭击。
科罗拉多州公开同性恋州长贾里德·波利斯(Jared Polis)周二加入了一群民主党人的行列，他们引用了Boebert热情，有时夸张的枪支权利支持，如过去共享去年，她的四个孩子拿着枪在圣诞树前摆姿势的全家福照片。
“我是在科罗拉多州当选的，就像劳伦·博贝特一样。我以比劳伦·波伯特在科罗拉多州大得多的优势当选，”他在美国广播公司周二的“观点”上周五，民主党人亚当·弗里希在2022年大选最激烈的比赛之一中承认，并正在等待重新计票。
“我可以在我们的圣诞卡上告诉你，我们绝对没有枪，没有任何枪。它们是和平欢乐的卡片，与节日气氛相称。”
博贝特发微博:“来自科罗拉多斯普林斯的消息非常糟糕。今天早上受害者我为他们的家人祈祷。这种无法无天的暴力需要结束，并尽快结束。"
纽约民主党众议员亚历山大·奥卡西奥·科尔特斯(Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)说，“你不能靠‘思考和祈祷’来摆脱困境。”发微博Boebert的国会选区与代表科罗拉多斯普林斯的众议员Doug Lamborn的选区接壤。
奥卡西奥-科尔特斯说:“你在提升反LGBT+仇恨言论和反跨性别谎言方面发挥了主要作用，同时在国会花时间阻止甚至是最常识性的枪支安全法。”
Boebert有发微博像“带你的孩子去教堂，不要去酒吧”这样的早期声明据这家名为“俱乐部Q”的酒吧网站称，该酒吧原定于第二天举办每周一次的变装秀。
她还谎称LGBTQ+社区正在“培养”儿童。
科罗拉多斯普林斯的共和党国会议员道格·兰博恩众议员，发微博他对枪击事件表示哀悼。
“听到昨晚枪击事件中无谓的生命损失，我很难过。执法部门和第一反应人员的快速反应值得称赞，”他在一条推文中说。
"所有人都应该为受害者及其家人祈祷。"
兰博恩在国会支持反跨性别立法，在儿童动画片《亚瑟》播出一集同性婚礼后，推动公共广播公司和NPR停止拨款。他在2021年投票反对联邦平等法案。
另一名附近的共和党议员、科罗拉多州第四国会选区的众议员肯·巴克(Ken Buck)在一条推文中谴责了这次袭击，但没有直接评论枪支暴力或对LGBTQ社区的袭击。
“这太可怕了。为所有受科罗拉多斯普林斯悲剧和无谓袭击影响的人祈祷，”他说。
国会准备很快及格一项里程碑式的立法将同性和跨种族婚姻权利纳入联邦法律，名为尊重婚姻法案。另外，美国仍在努力应对2022年大规模枪击事件的大幅上升，这是迄今为止有记录以来最致命的一年。
美国总统乔·拜登周一表示声明敦促国会通过以LGBTQ为中心的立法，同时点头同意他今年早些时候签署的枪支安全法，并指出该国需要在这个问题上“做得更多”。
“我们知道枪支暴力对我们国家的LGBTQI+群体有着特殊的影响。我们必须解决各种形式的枪支暴力这一公共卫生流行病。我签署了近三十年来最重要的枪支安全法，但我们必须做得更多。我们必须消除导致暴力侵害LGBTQI+人群的不平等现象。我们不能容忍仇恨，”他说。
“我继续敦促各州领导人打击针对年轻跨性别美国人的令人不安的歧视性州法律浪潮——这一立法伤害了没有伤害任何人的年轻人。随着国会准备通过两党《尊重婚姻法案》，我也再次呼吁他们同样通过《平等法案》，为跨性别者和所有LGBTQI+美国人提供早就应该得到的保护，”拜登说。
Colorado Springs shooting comes amid rise in anti-LGBTQ political rhetoric
The weekend mass shooting at the Colorado Springs gay bar has reignited the debate over whether anti-LGBTQ political rhetoric encourages such attacks or otherwise helps create a hostile environment given the widespread access to high-powered weapons used in similar assaults.
Although they haven't ascribed an exact motive, or described any direct connection,authorities in Colorado say the suspect has been chargedwith both the murders of five people and bias-motivated hate crimes.
"This comes amidst a rise of violent rhetoric and threats against the LGBTQ+ people across the country. What we don't know yet -- while we don't know yet for certain the motive of this attack, hate has no place in this country, and neither do military style assault rifles, which is why we will continue to push for an assault weapons ban," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing Tuesday.
The attack, about midnight on Nov. 19, came on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the memory of the lives of transgender people who have been victims of discriminatory violence. Authorities say the suspect, using a long gun and handgun, opened fire in Club Q, a self-described "safe haven" for LGBTQ residents of Colorado Springs.
A bipartisan slate of lawmakers have responded to the attack -- including some Democrats who touched not only on the tragedy itself but more broadly on gun and anti-LGBTQ violence at a time when the issues are already top of mind on the national political stage around the midterm elections.
Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, released astatementon Sunday condemning the "twin epidemics of hate and gun violence."
"LGBTQ+ clubs are often a place of refuge and affirmation for our community, yet once again what should have been a safe space became the target of a violent and deadly attack," he said. "We know the toxic combination of hate and access to guns in this country leads to deadly results."
The tragedy occurred in the backyard of one of Congress' staunchest gun rights advocates -- Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert -- whotweetedprayers for the victims of the mass shooting, much to the ire of Democrats who said her past remarks about the LGBTQ+ community helped lead to the attack.
Colorado's openly gay governor, Jared Polis, on Tuesday joined a group of Democrats who cited Boebert's ardent, sometimes exaggerated gun rights support, such as pastsharinga family photo showing her four children posing with guns in front of a Christmas tree last year.
"I was elected here in Colorado just like Lauren Boebert was. I was elected by a much larger margin than Lauren Boebert was in Colorado," he said onABC'S "The View" Tuesday, making a veiled nod to the incumbent congresswoman's recent reelection on Friday, when Democrat Adam Frisch conceded in what had been one of the closest races of the 2022 election and was pending a recount.
"And I can tell you on our Christmas cards, we absolutely have no guns, no guns whatsoever. They are peaceful joyous cards appropriate with holiday spirit."
Boeberttweeted: "The news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful. This morning the victims& their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly."
"You don't get to 'thoughts and prayers' your way out of this," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.tweetedin response to Boebert, whose congressional district shares a border with that of Rep. Doug Lamborn, who represents Colorado Springs.
"You have played a major role in elevating anti-LGBT+ hate rhetoric and anti-trans lies while spending your time in Congress blocking even the most common sense gun safety laws," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Boebert hastweetedearlier statements such as "take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars." The targeted bar, Club Q, was scheduled to host its weekly drag show the next day, according to its website.
She's also falsely stated that the LGBTQ+ community is "grooming" children.
Colorado Springs' GOP member of Congress, Rep. Doug Lamborn,tweetedhis condolences following the shooting.
"I am saddened to hear of the senseless loss of life in the shooting last night. Law enforcement and first responders are to be commended for their rapid response," he said in a tweet.
"All people should pray for the victims and their families."
Lamborn has supported anti-transgender legislation in Congress, pushing for funding to be withheld from PBS and NPR after the children's cartoon "Arthur" aired an episode with a same-sex wedding. He voted against the federal Equality Act in 2021.
Another nearby GOP congressman, Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado's 4th Congressional District, condemned the attack in a tweet without directly commenting on gun violence or attacks on the LGBTQ community.
"This is horrifying. Praying for all those affected by the tragic and senseless attack in Colorado Springs,"he said.
Congress is poised to soonpasslandmark legislation to federally enshrine both same-sex and interracial marriage rights, called theRespect for Marriage Act. Separately, the nation is still grappling with a significant uptick in mass shootings for 2022, so far one of the deadliest years on record.
President Joe Biden on Mondaystatementurged Congress to pass LGBTQ-centered pieces of legislation while nodding to a gun safety law he signed earlier this year, noting that the country needs to "do more," about the issue.
"We know that gun violence has a particular impact on LGBTQI+ communities across our nation. We must address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all forms. I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades, but we must do more. And we must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot tolerate hate," he said.
"I continue to urge state leaders to combat the disturbing wave of discriminatory state laws targeting young transgender Americans -- legislation that hurts young people who aren't hurting anyone. With Congress poised to pass the bipartisan Respect For Marriage Act, I also reiterate my call for them to likewise pass the Equality Act and provide long overdue protections to transgender and all LGBTQI+ Americans," Biden said.
