‘Sacred’ Pride flag placed on Colorado City Hall to honour Club Q victims: ‘We must do better’
Autumn Quinn (center at bottom) hugs a person during a ceremony at Colorado Springs City Hall in Colorado Springs. (Getty)
Colorado Springs community members and leaders gathered on Wednesday (23 November) to unveil a 25-foot Pride flag hung over its city hall, in honour of the victims of the mass shooting at Club Q.
The attack, on Saturday (19 November), killed five people and injured at least 25 others.
The five killed were Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Green Vance.
The flag was loaned to Colorado Springs from the Sacred Cloth Project, and has travelled to the locations of historic LGBTQ+ events worldwide, including Orlando after the Pulse nightclub shooting and the Supreme Court after the 2015 victory for marriage equality.
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“We are honoured to share this symbol of hope, love and unity with the people of Colorado Springs in their time of sorrow,” Mark Ebenhoch, the director of the Sacred Cloth Project, said at the ceremony.
Measuring 14 by 25 feet, the flag is only one section of the much larger Rainbow25 Sea to Sea Flag flag – 1.25 miles long – which was sewn in 2003. The larger flag was cut into sections, including Section 93, the Sacred Cloth, which now travels to sites of queer mourning and celebration.
‘We will do better’
At the unveiling ceremony, city council representative Nancy Henjum spoke to the local and national LGBTQ+ community.
“There is so much love and support for you here today,” she said.
“We must continue that for the days, weeks, years, and lifetimes to come – especially for queer people of colour and for transgender people.
“We heard from many of you yesterday in this very building that you don’t feel safe, you don’t feel respected – that we must do better. We will do better. And we will start with our display of support by unfurling this flag on our historic 1904 building.”
Leaders expressed gratitude for the historic cloth’s journey to Colorado Springs.
“As Colorado Springs mourns, we are heartened that this historic flag has been offered for display,” Jessie Pocock, executive director and CEO of Inside Out Youth Services, said. “We are grateful for this incredible demonstration of compassion.”
Several other influential people attended the ceremony including mayor John Suthers, police chief Adrian Vasquez, fire chief Randy Royal and district attorney Michael Allen.
