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An LGBTQ-owned auto shop’s crowdfunding campaign to raise funeral and medical expenses for people harmed in last weekend’s Club Q shooting raised nearly $750,000 in just three days — an amazing feat considering that the campaign was launched just three days ago and had originally sought only $25,000.
Faith Haug — co-owner of auto shop Good Judy Garage in Sheridan, Colorado — said she couldn’t find anywhere to donate in support of the shooting’s victims. So she started a fundraiser herself, which makes sense considering that a “Good Judy” is slang for a helpful queer person. Haug runs the business with her partner CC.
“As a queer-owned business, the LGBTQA+ community has embraced us and allowed us to be here to serve them,” the GoFundMe states. “It is our duty to help the community that has supported us.”
Even though the garage has less than 4,000 social media followers, its fundraiser quickly went viral. When this article was written, the campaign had already received over 18,700 donations totaling $737,391 (and counting).
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One donor named Sonya Murphy wrote, “It could have been my kid, her girlfriend, their friends, my coworker’s son… Thanks for organizing, my heart breaks for everyone involved and the entire LGBTQIA+ Community,” Business Insider reported.
Haug told the publication that even though $737,000 sounds like “an astronomical amount of money… it really isn’t,” especially since funerals and medical bills can cost up to six figures. When you multiply that by five deceased victims and 25 injured people, the help fund could quickly go dry.
The garage has retained legal counsel and will set up a trust fund to distribute funds directly to the victims. The trust will be managed by a local attorney who is a member of the LGBTQ community, Haug says, and housed at a bank recognized by the Human Rights Campaign.
Haug also said that the lawyer is in the process of figuring out how to most effectively distribute the funds so that they don’t prevent victims from receiving any additional aid or low-income benefits. They expect the process will take about two weeks before it can start issuing payments.
The fund will remain open indefinitely.
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Neoprene
An auto repair shop needs to be a safe space? Who knew? I’ve been going to a straight owned garage for years and didn’t know it was unsafe. Thanks Queerty!
dbmcvey
What’s wrong with you?
Ronbo
Good for them! No, great for them!!!
I’ve read every article about this evil attack and I’ve yet to read a single mention of “Focus on the Family” – the Colorado Springs based anbd certified hate-group which has a long history of targeting LGBTQ individuals.
Remember and review how news corporations instantly and repeatedly accused BLM of triggering violence with everything from shoplifting to being antifa (not even a real organization; just being against fascism). A recent President seems to have slithered away unscathed from his fascist plot, also.
Odd that shouting ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre is weaponized exclusively against the Left. Even relatively good news sources seem blind to the truth, shielding us from the actual fact that these hate groups are NOT paying taxes while they parade false religion of hate and division.
Stefano
I am always saddened to see so much violence. I wonder what goes on in someone’s head to resent others to the point of killing them? You have to be very mentally affected to do that. Not a week goes by in your country without a killing. But what is going on in your country that causes so much violence? Your country is rich but there is a lot of poverty. Your rich are extremely rich and the poor are extremely poor. It broke my heart when I saw commercial workers having to beg for money to support themselves. I gave what I could. I think if your society was more equal, it would help a lot.
Ken A.
Gay men fixing cars. Perish the thought. Glad they raised money for the cause. But gay grease monkeys? I never.
barryaksarben
iam as gbay as anyone ever has been but worked two jobs ( one as a grease monkey and the other as a bank manager) for 6 yrs to pay off student debt. I had no social life the entire time and am for student debt forgiveness because no one should have to do this
barryaksarben
We do need to be relentless in pointing out how horrible and violent the Focus on the Family is to gay people. Like the other person said the right never stops laying about us so we need to never stop telling g the truth about them