Colorado Springs church will act as Thanksgiving site for Club Q after shooting
The call went out and the donations poured in. That was the response in Colorado Springs when it became quickly apparent this week that there would be no Thanksgiving at Club Q.
In the past, the club has served as a home for people either away from or ostracized by their families during the holidays. "That community becomes your family. So it's not unexpected for them to be in a bar like Club Q on a holiday; Christmas or Thanksgiving," said Jason Plata, music director for the non-denominational Pikes Peak Metropolitan Church.
Club Q was the site of a dinner put on by the United Court of the Pikes Peak Empire, an LGBTQ+ group that reaches out to the community. "You may say it's not a home, but it's a home to others," Plata said. "And that's why this is so tragic because places like that become our home. Because it was our only outlet to experience our freedom and our liberty of who we can be without any kind of malice."
But with the club closed after Sunday's fatal shooting, there was no place for the annual dinner. The organization asked the church. "We are celebrating the community as a whole and that it still stands strong and will move forward," said Joseph Shelton of the United Court of the Pikes Peak Empire.
"Our goal is just to show the love of God. Our whole heart is healing," Plata said, who was put in charge of the dinner by the church. He put out the call for food donations with local restaurants and they responded quickly. "I told everybody I'm not Jesus, I do not have two fish and three loaves and basically it came out of nothing."
"Salads, breads, turkeys, ham," described Albert Dominguez, manager of Parvicini's Italian Bistro. "Food and emotional support I think go hand in hand with each other," he explained.
The restaurant was one of a long list in Colorado Springs that stepped up. "We're all one. We all breathe the same air and we're all there for one another," Dominguez said. "No matter what your sexuality is, no matter what your religion is, no matter what your politics are, you're a person and you matter to us more than anything."
Typically the group that shares Thanksgiving at Club Q is not large said Shelton, but at the church on Thursday, he is expecting 150-175 people. Plata thinks he has enough for over 200. "We're just opening it up to anybody that feels like they want to come and be part of it."
There will be counselors present for people who need to talk. "What we plan on doing is helping our community heal. And that's all I've been saying is helping us heal and then we can move on," Plata said. Together people will gather to give thanks for each other and their home. "You can't forget about what happened this weekend, but it's OK to laugh and it's OK to have a good time and we want them to breathe a sigh of relief for a little bit."
