TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After the Club Q attack, businesses in Tucson are planning fundraisers and memorials for the victims.
Lady Haha Comedy hosted a candlelight vigil at Bumsted’s on Wednesday for community members to grieve and to have open conversations.
“We just want people leaving feeling togetherness, feeling less alone, feeling normal, because grief is normal,” said Priscilla Fernandez, co-producer of Lady Haha Comedy.
Tucson Hop Shop is a beer and wine bar in Tucson known as a welcoming environment.
They host the event ‘Queer Bazaar’ twice a year.
“It's just such an amazing celebration of LGBTQ artists and vendors and small businesses,” said Jessie Mance, Tucson Hop Shop Co-Owner.
“It's not fair to anyone to feel like they are a target, because of who they are and who they love,” said Mance.
After the Club Q shooting, Mance had second thoughts about the event coming up on December 4.
“I actually wondered if we should go on with this and I think the consensus from the people that I talked to and polled and you know, my co event planners is that we need to spread queer joy, and we need to celebrate, and we need to not have people feel scared to be who they are,” said Mance.
Mance will hire security for the event to make sure their guests feel safe.
“We are hosting a family friendly drag show that all the contributions from the show are going to benefit the victims of the Club Q shooting,” said Erin Powers, the Craft Collective Hair Salon Owner helping host the event.
Part of the proceeds from Queer Bazaar will go towards different LGBTQ organizations and to the Club Q victims’ funds.
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Faith Abercrombie is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before coming to KGUN, Faith worked as a videographer for the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation and as a reporter and producer on the youth suicide documentary, "Life is..." on Arizona PBS.
Share your story ideas with Faith by emailing faith.abercrombie@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
