Standing up to hate

This post originally appeared on Steve Demetriou's LinkedIn on November 21, 2022.

Today I am saddened by the heartbreaking news from Colorado Springs, where on Saturday night a gunman opened fire at an event in Club Q, a local LGBTQIA+ nightclub. Five people are dead, with 25 others injured – these numbers would be far higher were it not for the actions of a group of heroic people who overcame the gunman to prevent further deaths. The fact that this attack happened on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance makes it all the more heart-wrenching.

While the motive of the attack is yet to be determined, it presents a terrible reminder of the violence, discrimination, and hatred many members of the LGBTQIA+ community regularly face because of who they love and how they identify. These events cannot help but bring to mind the memories of the Pulse nightclub shootings in 2016, when 49 members of the LGBTQIA+ community were murdered in Orlando, Florida. Today I feel the same emotions: grief at the needless loss of innocent life, and sadness for the friends, families and loved ones of those who did not come home.

To our global family of LGBTQIA+ colleagues at Jacobs – know that you can always bring your whole self to work and that Jacobs is a safe and welcoming place. Hatred has no home at Jacobs.

The violence we are seeing around the globe – and particularly today in the LGBTQIA+ community – is tragic. It is at times like this that our culture of caring is more important than ever. Our commitment to each other and our courage to care are fundamental to who we are.  Please join me in being an active ally to support each other, speak out against hatred and injustice, and live our culture of caring.