A gay gun group is urging the LGBTQ community to consider carrying weapons to fight back against attacks like the weekend slayings in an Orlando club.
Pink Pistols spokesperson Gwendolyn Patton said, “This is exactly the kind of heinous act that justifies our existence. At such a time of tragedy, let us not reach for the low-hanging fruit of blaming the killer’s guns. Let us stay focused on the fact that someone hated gay people so much they were ready to kill or injure so many.”
She noted that several states ban guns in bars, so she suggested a provision that allows a designated “carrier” with a concealed carry permit.
In a statement, Pink Pistols said, “Some bars and other establishments that serve alcohol are difficult to protect because many states forbid the carrying of weapons where alcohol is served, but that just as one might have a designated driver who stays sober, one might have a designated carrier with a concealed-carry permit who goes armed and does not drink. ‘It’s sad that we must consider such things, but when there are persons out there who mean us harm, we must find ways to protect ourselves within the law,’ said Patton.”
The group has 45 chapters nationally and promotes self defense against gay attacks.
“We are dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual-minority community. We no longer believe it is the right of those who hate and fear gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or polyamorous persons to use us as targets for their rage. Self-defense is our RIGHT,” the group says on its homepage.
In her statement, Patton expressed solidarity and support for the families and friends of those killed and injured in Orlando, and warned gun critics to focus on the hate in the shooter, not his tools.
“A human being did this. The human being’s tools are unimportant when compared to the bleakness of that person’s soul. I say again, GUNS did not do this. A human being did this, a dead human being. Our job now is not to demonize the man’s tools, but to condemn his acts and work to prevent such acts in the future,” she said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
