After Tucson’s deadly attack at a gay bar, Gov. Katie Hobbs was slow to speak publicly

It was nearly a full day since it was announced that two men, Cameron Capara and Vincent  “Vinny” Siqueiros, were killed outside Tucson’s Venture-N, a longtime LGBTQ+ bar in midtown Tucson in a hate-related attack.

By noon on Tuesday, elected officials, queer organizations, and community members across the nation began issuing messages of grief and solidarity. But most absent from the calls for support had been the state’s Governor Katie Hobbs, who is currently seeking reelection and has been a vocal advocate for Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community.

The city, known for being one of the most queer-friendly in the state, is still in a state of shock as media and outside voices from around the country begin to weigh in. Through the outpouring of support, one name seemed to be missing.

LOOKOUT reached out to Hobbs’ office Tuesday morning, but did not receive a response before publishing in the afternoon. After publishing the story, a post was made on the official governor’s X account announcing solidarity with the Tucson LGBTQ+ community.

Later in the day, Hobbs’s office sent over a recording from a press gaggle — an informal media event — where Hobbs addressed the shooting after two reporters questioned her about it.

During the gaggle, she said: “Violence is always hard and it shouldn’t have a place anywhere, especially violence that’s directed because of hate. That makes people just feel really unsafe.”

In Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero was one of the first to call the shooting “a direct and devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community” and said the list of LGBTQ+-friendly locations indicated the shooter intended to cause more harm. In a message directed to queer Tucsonans, she added: “You are not alone.”

Queer members of Tucson’s City Council also shared their thoughts. Ward 6 Councilmember Miranda Schubert, who is queer, told the Arizona Daily Star the shooting, which happened in her jurisdiction, showed the consequences of a political climate in which harmful beliefs can become more permissible.

She urged LGBTQ+ people and allies to “stand together and make ourselves bigger, not shrink in fear.”

Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, who is also queer, described Venture-N as a small, beloved neighborhood LGBTQ+ bar with a close community of regulars and friends. Santa Cruz offered condolences to the victims’ loved ones and to Venture-N employees, customers and neighbors grieving the attack.

Police Chief Monica Prieto also acknowledged that the attack could leave LGBTQ+ residents afraid to gather. TPD said it would increase police presence around LGBTQIA+ establishments and coordinate with community organizations. Prieto said the department wanted residents to feel “safe, valued, and welcomed.”

Other local officials echoed that message on Monday: Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said no one should fear being targeted because of who they are or where they gather and said her office stood in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Jen Allen called the killings “senseless and shocking,” while emphasizing that the county’s values include dignity, inclusion and respect.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said on Facebook that she was “heartbroken and outraged” by the killings of Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara, calling the shooting an attack that appeared to target Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community. Mayes said hate crimes have no place in the state and that her office is prepared to assist Tucson police and the Pima County Attorney’s Office with the investigation.

The response also reached Washington well before Hobbs made a statement. U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva hours after the news of the attack stood in the House and condemned what she called a targeted act of hate and honored Siqueiros and Capara during remarks on the House floor. “Everyone is welcome in Tucson, and hate has no place here,” Grijalva said, while also calling for federal gun-safety legislation.

Exclusively on X, Sen. Ruben Gallego — who has drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ people for his statements on “men” in women’s sports — thanked Tucson law enforcement for quickly investigating the shooting and increasing patrols around LGBTQ+ establishments. “To Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community: you are not alone,” Gallego said. “We stand with you against violence and bigotry, and we will not let fear or hate define our communities.”

Closer to home, the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation said places like Venture-N are more than businesses — they are places where queer people find friendship, chosen family, safety and belonging. Phoenix Pride also sent support from across the state, urging people to remain vigilant, care for one another and continue supporting LGBTQ+ spaces.

Queer Takeover Tucson similarly emphasized the role bars and queer venues play beyond nightlife, describing them as places of “community, belonging, joy and safety.”

Longtime community members also reflected that sense of connection. Scott Blades, founder of the Tucson HIV/AIDS support network, described Venture-N as an important gathering place where people had long felt safe. Colete Barajas, a longtime member of Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community who opened the city’s first women’s bar in 1983, said fear would not force the community behind closed doors.

The University of Arizona’s Pride Student Space and Women & Gender Student Space said the Venture-N shooting should not be viewed as an isolated act, but as part of a broader climate of attacks on queer and trans people. “Homophobia and transphobia is killing us, quite literally,” the student leaders wrote, arguing that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation carry “real and tangible consequences.” The group said it offers free counseling and healing spaces for anyone affected.

National and statewide LGBTQ+ organizations joined the response. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said learning that the gunman appeared to be targeting LGBTQ+-friendly businesses was “both chilling and enraging,” and pledged that the organization would continue working toward a country where LGBTQ+ people can live openly and safely.

The Arizona LGBTQIA+ Caucus said the shooting was an attack on the broader community and warned that homophobia causes real harm. The Congressional Equality Caucus also offered condolences to the victims’ loved ones and Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community, saying no one should fear violence because of who they are.

This story was first published by LOOKOUT and is reprinted here with permission.