In Memoriam

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Two of the five people killed late Saturday night at Club Q, an LGTBQIA-friendly nightspot in Colorado Springs, were bartenders:  Derrick Rump, shown at left; and Daniel Davis Aston. 

For both, Club Q was as much a haven as a place of employment.  Rump was originally from the Philadelphia area. CBS Philadelphia reports:  “Friends said Rump welcomed everyone into Club Q with a warmth and light that has now been tragically dimmed…. [A friend, Anthony] Jaramillo said Rump loved working for Club Q as a bartender, and became a staple of the LGBTQ bar. ‘When I went to Club Q, Derrick was going to be there guaranteed every time,’ Jamarillo said.”

Aston, who was transgender, had recently completed his transition and performed as a drag queen at the club in addition to his job behind the bar.  His parents both supported him in his choice to transition—something that unfortunately is not the case for many transgender youth—and enjoyed going to Club Q.

“We’d bring our friends and family every time they came in town to show off Dan. It’s family friendly,” his mother told the Washington Post.  The report continued:  “Her son took pride in how the [drag] shows raised money for a local LGBTQ youth group. ‘Not many parents go to those shows, but we were king and queen when we went there. They fawned over us — we never had to worry about drinks,’ she said.”

Three other people died that night, eighteen more were wounded, and everyone at Club Q was traumatized.  Club Q will probably survive as a haven for LGBTQIA persons—I sure hope it does—but until Saturday night it also felt like a place of safety.  It may never feel that way again.  And no one who knew them will ever walk through its doors without thinking of Derrick Rump and Daniel Aston.

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