Statement of GLAD Law Executive Director Ricardo Martinez on Anti-LGBTQ+ Violence in Tucson

At GLAD Law, our hearts are with the families, friends, and loved ones of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, who were shot and killed in an act of anti-LGBTQ+ hate this week outside the Venture-N gay bar in Tucson, Arizona.  

Part of my own heart will always belong to Arizona. Before my work at GLAD Law, I worked at GLSEN and traveled often to support their Tucson chapter. I later moved to Phoenix, for love — and he wasn’t the only love I found there. I know the Southwest’s LGBTQ+ community from the inside — the friends who became family, the joy spaces like Venture-N made possible. It was an honor to be part of organizing that was vibrant and undeterred, that fostered hope and change through resistance.  

It is deeply painful to witness hate-motivated violence shatter a community space meant to foster joy and celebrate life. But today I see that spirit of hope and resistance in Tucson’s response — people showing up for each other, refusing to let hate have the last word. We send our love to the Tucson LGBTQ+ and surrounding community as they grieve this loss and come together in the wake of this tragedy. 

A vigil is planned to honor Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara on Wednesday, September 2, at 6:30pm MST. Visit @tucsonqueerstory and @saaftucson for information and to support the local community. 

We know the impact of violence like this reverberates across our entire LGBTQ+ community. Know that we are shaken, but we are strong. Please take care of yourself and one another, and if you need support, resources are available to help:

Ricardo Martinez
Executive Director