Washington, D.C. — We are deeply saddened to hear of the shooting at Club Q Nightclub in Colorado Springs and mourn the lives of those who were lost and send support to those recovering from injuries. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims, and we urge whoever may need it to seek mental health support in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Hate has no place in America. Violence based in hate is abhorrent. Bias toward LGBTQI people, whatever form it takes, hurts mental health. We stand opposed to laws and rhetoric that discriminate against this community, whether it is promoting dangerous conversion therapy (.pdf) or restricting provision of health care services to trans or gender-diverse individuals (.pdf). We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQI community in the aftermath of this devastating event and in the ongoing discrimination its members face, with the hope that one day we will turn the page.

Gun violence is a public health crisis. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has worked over the past years, often in concert with other physician and mental health organizations, to call attention to this fact and to promote legislation that strengthens background checks, research, and other methods to control access to firearms. At the same time, APA strongly opposes rhetoric that would link violent acts of hate and mass shootings to mental illness. Mental illness is prevalent across the globe, but this level of firearm violence is unique to the United States.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and need help immediately, please call 988. For other mental health resources on coping after a disaster and traumatic events, visit APA’s Coping After Disaster website.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.