North Raleigh Today

County of Wake issued the following announcement on Dec. 3.

On Nov. 19, a shooter fired repeatedly into a Colorado Springs nightclub called Club Q, which caters to the LGBTQ community. Five people died, and more than 25 others were wounded in the tragic mass shooting. 

At Wake County, we condemn the actions of this gunman who intentionally targeted an LGBTQ community space and the LGBTQ people and their allies inside it. This act was rooted in homophobia and transphobia and did not occur in isolation. It’s merely the latest example in a long history of violence against queer and trans folx. 

Wake County stands in solidarity with our LGBTQ employees and residents, so they will know they are valued, supported and loved. They deserve to live authentically without fear of violence, which is challenging in the aftermath of events like the Club Q tragedy and the Pulse Massacre.  

Our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion works to build policies, practices, programs and resources that uplift underrepresented and historically marginalized communities. It’s critical to us that the voices and experiences of all employees and residents inform the direction of our work.  

Our DEI office recently expanded to a three-person, full-time team. With greater resources now available, we have the opportunity and responsibility to take action to meaningfully support LGBTQ employees and residents. Here are some steps we’ll take over the coming months to support the LGBTQ community:

• Continue to collaborate with county efforts to address discrimination, which includes initiatives that bolster protections for the LGBTQ community, such as the Wake County’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance; 
• Include LGBTQ inclusion educational resources on the forthcoming Office of DEI webpage; and
• Work with seven county departments in our first year to design DEI plans, which will include supporting LGBTQ workplace inclusion.

Original source can be found here.