At Emerge, love is our commitment to transforming our community into one where all survivors can heal and thrive, free from violence. It calls us to stand with those who are hurting, to share the weight of their grief, and to speak clearly when violence threatens safety and belonging in our community.
Today, that commitment calls us to hold Tucson’s LGBTQIA+ community close. Our hearts ache for the loved ones of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, the Venture-N family, and everyone who is grieving, frightened, or struggling to make sense of this devastating act of violence. We join our community in mourning and recognize that many of the people we love may now feel less safe.
LGBTQIA+ spaces are more than businesses or places to gather. They are where people find friendship, chosen family, acceptance, joy, safety, and the freedom to exist fully as themselves. When one of these spaces is targeted, the harm reverberates far beyond its walls, leaving an entire community questioning whether the places where they have found belonging are still safe.
This tragedy joins a painful history of violence targeting places where LGBTQIA+ people gather. This year marks ten years since the attack at Pulse and nearly four years since the attack at Club Q. We are once again reminded that spaces of connection, authenticity, and joy have too often been targeted by those who seek to destroy what they represent.
At Emerge, we know violence does not occur in isolation. It is shaped by systems that treat some people’s safety and humanity as less worthy. LGBTQIA+ people deserve more than survival. They deserve to gather without fear, experience joy without apology, and live with dignity and belonging.
Emerge has long been dedicated to serving individuals and families impacted by domestic abuse. Over the past decade, we have also worked to build partnerships and programs that seek solutions at the intersection of domestic and community violence. This work is especially critical in a moment when gun violence has been so visible and devastating in our community.
We stand with our LGBTQIA+ community in grief, outrage, and love. We also recognize the strength of a community whose history is rooted in collective care, courage, survival, and the determination to protect one another. In this moment, may we hold one another close, check on those we love, make space for grief, and remain visible and united in our commitment to one another’s safety.
Emerge is committed to creating a future where healing is rooted in love, joy, and community. Through our collective commitment to safety and liberation, we work to create spaces where all survivors of violence, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable communities, belong and thrive.
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