How you can help others and yourself cope after Club Q deadly shooting

In the wake of the Club Q deadly shooting in Colorado Springs, many people are feeling all kinds of emotions. Grief, anger, fear, even loneliness, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.

"A lot of people I know are numb," said Mardi Moore, executive director of Out Boulder County. "We all need some mental health support around it."

Non-profit Out Boulder County is offering that support and more. On Sunday, just hours after the deadly shooting, Moore said they opened their center to provide a safe space for people to gather and receive support. Its mission is to help LGBTQ persons in Boulder County and beyond, but Moore said more resources in Colorado are needed.

"There are only two LGBTQ centers for adults and youth in the state -- one in Denver and us," she said. "We need to be building out rural communities where there's less education."

Moore said she has spent time personally reaching out to people who may be struggling with the shooting. That's her job, she said, but she also believes everyone should do the same.

"If you're sitting at home right now and you haven't checked in with one of your LGBTQ friends, it's actually past time so you should pick up the phone right now, or drop that text or email," she said.

Those calls or messages make a world of difference, Moore explained. It can help a person feel valued and loved. One of the best ways to help the LGBTQ+ community, she added, is stopping the use and spread of hateful rhetoric that likely fueled the Club Q tragedy.

"I really believe political rhetoric is the reason for this. We know that the rhetoric has been hateful in the state of Colorado, and beyond...just look on Twitter to see what's being said. That rhetoric plays into people's minds, and they have some safety in saying hateful things which leads to doing hateful things," said Moore. "What people can do is they can stop somebody in conversations when they're questioning somebody's gender or saying something hateful based on ignorance. They can stop them."

LINKS: Out Boulder | The Center on Colfax