'It's a form of terrorism': London, Ont. reacts to Colorado mass shooting
When Kelly Roy went to sleep Saturday night, she did so coming off the high of a successful party night at Lavish, London’s lone queer nightclub she works at.
But she woke up Sunday morning to a very different mood.
"Our phones were just going off like crazy," said Roy.
Roy isn't a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community herself, but she's deeply ingrained in London's queer community as Lavish's operations director.
Friends and colleagues were frantically messaging her about a deadly shooting that happened the night before at a Colorado Springs gay bar. Five people were killed, and 25 more were injured.
"You feel heartbroken," said Roy. “This is a slap in the face to let us know that they're still not safe."
"It really does feel like you're being targeted for something that is simply who you are," said WG Pearson, chair of Western University's Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies, who uses they/them pronouns.
"It's a form of terrorism, in its own way," Pearson said. "If you don't behave the way we want you to behave, if you don't become the person we want you to become, we will attack you."
Lavish is next scheduled to be open Friday night, and Roy says that isn't changing. She said they're comfortable with the space's safety.
"We have security at the door all the time,” she said. “No one is able to bring in a bag.”
"This is not going to change anything for us," added Pearson. "It's going to make us sad. It's going to make us angry, but we're going to persist. We're going to carry on in the face of all of this.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests.
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
House from 'Home Alone' hits the market for US$5.25 million
Kevin McCallister’s childhood home has hit the market for US$5.25 million. At just over 9,000 square feet, the house from the 'Home Alone' movie was last sold in 2012 for $1,585,000.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.