IEL President Eddie Koen issued the following statement following this weekend’s mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado:

“IEL is once again heartbroken to join the chorus of Americans sharing their sadness and condolences with a community that has just been victimized by gun violence, that this time has left five innocent people dead, many more injured, and countless traumatized by what can only be called an act of hate.”

“For this atrocity, which targeted LGBTQ and trans victims, to fall on the eve of Transgender Remembrance Day is no coincidence.”

“Although this country has made some recent strides to protect our communities from gun violence, as with the passage of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, this is yet another tragic example of how much further we have to go, and a reminder that the rhetoric we promote, especially on a national scale, matters indeed.”

“Today I mourn for the Colorado Springs community, very near to where I served in the Denver Public Schools system for several years. At IEL we continue to work with our partners and community leaders who are reeling from gun violence and striving for a safer tomorrow for our children and families.”