Safety planning ahead of LGBTQ events is a tragic necessity

Community news journalists are well-versed in the issue of safety planning. We talk about it in relation to natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. We write about it when covering issues related to domestic violence and the hardships people face when confronted with statistics that they are more likely to be murdered by an enraged and unstable romantic partner after they decide to leave. And we talk about it every time there is a mass shooting at a school, movie theater or nightclub.

But there’s nothing “usual” about discussing safety planning in relation to a daytime community event being held at the local library.