Club Q co-owner and attack survivors attend signing of same-sex, interracial marriage bill in Washington D.C.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Tuesday, one of the Club Q owners was in the crowd outside of the White House while the President signed legislation protecting the rights of same-sex and interracial marriages. This monumental moment comes a few weeks after a gunman opened fire at Club Q in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring dozens.
Matthew Haynes told KRDO the signing of the bill, known as the Respect for Marriage Act, is a step forward for this country. The bill is meant to federally codify same-sex and interracial marriages.
Haynes was one of several members of the LGBTQ+ community and activists in attendance. He was joined by Club Q survivors James Slaugh and Michael Anderson.
Haynes told KRDO Tuesday's signing was bittersweet. He acknowledged this was important, but believes more needs to be done to prevent current LGBTQ+ discrimination.
The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 61 to 36 last week by all members of the Senate Democratic caucus and 12 Republicans.
The House voted 258 to 169 to pass the bill, with 39 Republicans joining the Democrats in favor.
Haynes told KRDO he's concerned with congress members who voted against the protection. He said while those legislators might not be outwardly voicing their hate, he believes they're doing so through their actions.
Now, Haynes said his focus is to prove to lawmakers and the country that protections are necessary for same-sex and interracial marriage.
"What we believe we need to do is to continue to speak out on it, continue to make people aware, and continue to hold folks accountable when that sort of speech is occurring," said Haynes.
Wednesday, Haynes and the two Club Q survivors are set to testify in front of congress about how to combat the rise in anti-LGBTQ extremism.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said it saw a rise in online discussions praising the accused Club Q shooter.
Haynes said he's hopeful Wednesday's testimony will lead to solutions on eliminating hate and violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
