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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.
\u201cAston was a bartender at Club Q and performed in shows, where he usually danced, his mother said. \n\n"The trans community are really the biggest targets I can think about it right now."\n\nhttps://t.co/8mei4CzGUt\u201d— CPR News (@CPR News) 1668996246
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.
\u201cDeeply moved by this quote from the mother of trans Club Q victim Daniel Davis Aston. Speaking up for her son and his community only hours after he was killed. Heartbroken for his loved ones. https://t.co/8BCNeDBCYm\u201d— Ruadh\u00e1n \u00d3 Cr\u00edod\u00e1in (@Ruadh\u00e1n \u00d3 Cr\u00edod\u00e1in) 1669049979
\u201c\u201cI didn't want to be part of this, the losing a child club, you know?\u201d [Daniel's mother] said. \u201cThat\u2019s not the way it\u2019s supposed to work.\u201d\n\nAbsolutely heartbreaking interview with one of #ClubQ victims' parents. https://t.co/trbqGkWkjC\u201d— Leah Sadoian (she/her) (@Leah Sadoian (she/her)) 1669004819
\u201cDaniel Aston, 28 year old trans man who worked at Club Q, was among the 5 murdered. \n\n\u201cHe was thriving & having fun & having friends. It\u2019s just unbelievable,\u201d his mom said. \u201cHe had so much more & to give to us and to all his friends and to himself.\u201d\n\nhttps://t.co/i5NqGkIpyP\u201d— Abraham Gutman (@Abraham Gutman) 1668997142
\u201c"He had so much more life to give to us and to all to his friends and to himself."\n\nSo incredibly tragic. We need to end this hate.\n\nhttps://t.co/NXVyQ3OHGk\u201d— Helena Bottemiller Evich (@Helena Bottemiller Evich) 1669036625
\u201cThe victims just wanted to live their lives free from hate, this heartbreaking piece about Daniel Aston shows how rampant hate and transphobia led to this. \n\nhttps://t.co/t1GfJpMBlm\u201d— SocialistTikTok (@SocialistTikTok) 1669040121
And scores of people have posted tributes to Daniel.
\u201c@bicyclegoddess @thephatic God this broke me \ud83d\udc94\nDaniel looks so full of life\u201d— Krista Bowers \ud83c\udf39\ud83c\udf3b (@Krista Bowers \ud83c\udf39\ud83c\udf3b) 1668995042
\u201cHe looks so peaceful here. So comfortable in his body. He should have had more time to be who he was. \ud83d\ude22\n\nHere is an article speaking to his parents, who clearly loved and supported their son: https://t.co/bOZZhejTuD\u201d— Jody Houser \u2712\ufe0f\ud83d\uddef\ufe0f\ud83c\udfb2 (@Jody Houser \u2712\ufe0f\ud83d\uddef\ufe0f\ud83c\udfb2) 1669004252
\u201cThe tragedy of it is mind numbing. Two bartenders\u2026two co-workers\u2026two friends, Derrick Rump and Daniel Aston, were among the five killed at Club Q in Colorado Springs.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1668987271
\u201crealised daniel aston and i interacted on top surgery fb groups around the time of my op. he\u2019d just gotten surgery and was there to answer any questions i had. support like that from the community was invaluable during my recovery. so grateful he was there. rest in peace \u2764\ufe0f\u201d— samson (@samson) 1669033907
\u201cWe would like to take a moment to remember and honor the life of Daniel Davis Aston, 28, one of the victims who lost their lives in the shooting at Club Q on Saturday.\u201d— Rainbow Youth Project USA (@Rainbow Youth Project USA) 1669043419
\u201cRest in peace, Daniel Aston \u2665\ufe0f\n\nThank you for all your hard work at Club Q and creating a safe space for the queer community in Colorado\u201d— Female-to-Drake Transgender (@Female-to-Drake Transgender) 1668988985
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.