This weekend brought the devastating news of the Nov. 19 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs. The suspect faces charges of five counts of murder and hate crimes. The murder of five people and injuring of 25 is a reminder that the LGBTQ community still experiences violent hate. The shooting in Colorado happened weeks after a tense standoff over a drag storytime outside of Old Nick’s Pub in Eugene, a situation where guns were brandished by both sides of the protest. And these innocent patrons of a gay nightclub died on the eve of Nov. 20 — Transgender Day of Remembrance. We hope local and national right-wing figures take a moment to realize their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric can influence people to kill. As TransPonder Executive Director Kyle Rodriguez-Hudson said in his TDOR remarks at the University of Oregon, “When will this violence end? When will we be free to exist, without the fear of individuals and larger systems tearing us apart? As trans and gender diverse humans, as POC and Indigenous humans, we are not the danger.”
• However you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday — and whether it’s hanging out with family, having Friendsgiving, honoring the Indigenous peoples upon whose lands we celebrate, we hope you mark the entry into the holiday season with thoughts of generosity and giving. Dec. 15 is Eugene Weekly’s annual Give Guide, where we plan to call your attention to the amazing work of local nonprofits. To be featured we ask that local 501(c)3 nonprofits send us their contact information (phone, web and mailing address) as well as the name of a supporter and a one-sentence endorsement of their work from that person. Send to Editor@EugeneWeekly.com by 5 pm Dec. 7 to be considered for inclusion.
• The work of 160 artists is on display at Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Avenue, until Dec. 16 in Maude’s annual Art for All Seasons membership show. The largest exhibit of the year at the community art center gives you a chance to see and buy the work your friends and neighbors are producing. Exhibitions coordinator Liberty Rossel is the unsung hero of this show. She’s hung about 300 pieces on the walls of the old church in a totally wonderful way. While you’re there, Club Mud Ceramics Studio also has a holiday show and sale. Enjoy and support local arts!
• After finishing her third pro season with the New York Liberty, former Oregon basketball great Sabrina Ionescu is a part of the courtside scene for the Oregon Duck women. Her official title is director of athletic culture, which means she cannot coach but she can give Kelly Graves and his coaches some tips and be around to cheer the players on. The Duck women are looking really good this year. Ionescu’s presence probably will help, and the team needs all the help it can get after losing star Sedona Prince to an early season injury.
• The midterms are behind us, but we’re aghast with how much money was spent during the election (looking at you, Phil Knight). Oregon has often been called the “Wild West” of the U.S. for its lack of campaign contribution limits, mostly due to the Oregon Supreme Court’s previous rulings that money equals free speech. It’s time that Oregon follows the path of its neighbor Washington (which limits contributions to $2,000) or even federal levels ($2,700 limits each for the primary and general) to limit the influence of the wealthy in our elections. And if that means a constitutional amendment, so be it.
• It’s that magical time when some of the world’s greatest soccer players don the jerseys of their home country. Like always, the U.S. is an underdog in the World Cup and may not have the squad to take them as far as it went in 2014, when the team lost in the quarterfinals to Belgium. But misery loves company, so check out our “What’s Happening” calendar in print and online to find some of the many watch parties in the area. And if you are not into sportsball but are concerned about human rights (or like many of our readers, care about both) check out the work of Human Rights Watch, hrw.org, on migrant worker abuses and the World Cup.