In the wake of the horrific shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs over the weekend, one of the victims' mothers is speaking out to urge people to be more accepting of transgender people like her slain son.
Sabrina Aston—whose trans son Daniel was a bartender and performer at the club—was one of the five people murdered in the shooting Saturday night.
She told Colorado Public Radio her son was the "happiest he had ever been" before the unforgivable act of violence that took his life.
Speaking with CPR, Aston said she always worried about her son, beginning when he was just a small child who was bullied for his gender presentation.
After graduating college, transitioning and beginning to live openly as a man, Aston said her worries intensified because of the shocking levels of violence against the transgender community, which have steadily increased year after year.
She told CPR:
“He’s a trans man and the trans community are really the biggest targets I can think about it right now.”
Daniel's father Jeff added all he and Sabrina could do was "try not to think about those things too much."
Despite the climate of shocking violence and constant legislative attacks against the trans community, Sabrina said her son was in the best place he'd ever been in his life.
She told CPR:
“He was the happiest he had ever been."
"He was thriving and having fun and having friends."
"It’s just unbelievable. He had so much more life to give to us and to all to his friends and to himself.”
“We need to get our legislators and our people high up to have a voice for us."
"Those are our children, we do not care how you dress or what you identify as. It doesn’t harm anybody.”
On Twitter, Sabrina Aston's words were felt deeply by many.
And scores of people have posted tributes to Daniel.
Daniel Aston was one of five people shot to death in the Club Q attack Saturday night.
At least 25 others were injured.
The alleged shooter is currently hospitalized and in custody.
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