Pink Pistols
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:31 pm
No one should have to take a beating just because they are at some disadvantage. But if you shoot someone you better have a good reason.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orland ... ng-n594701
LGBT Gun Rights Group Sees Membership Spike After Orlando Shooting
by Bradleigh Miranda Chance
Pink Pistols Group Takes Up Arms in Georgia 1:32
The Pink Pistols, a national gun club for gays and lesbians, wants their community to take up arms in self defense in the wake of a deadly shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Spokesperson Gwendolyn Patton, who argues that the LGBT community needs to exercise their Second Amendment rights in order to defend themselves, says the group saw membership soar from about 1,500 members before the Orlando shooting on Sunday to 3,500 on Monday.
The spike in interest comes after at least 49 people were killed and at least 53 were wounded when gunman, Omar Mateen opened fire and took hostages at a LGBT-friendly nightclub in Orlando last weekend. The massacre was the worst mass shooting in American history and Patton says the interest in LGBT gun rights is at an all-time high.
The Pink Pistols says they have gained 1,000 more members over the course of the week, putting their total membership at approximately 4,500. The group continues to see dozens of new chapters pop up across the country.
"We've had the greatest response in three areas, our Facebook page, which has tripled in size, our chapters, we have so many requests for information on starting new chapters I've lost count, and the sheer number of people offering services such as training to our members," Patton said.
The group claims 45 active chapters across 33 states in the U.S. and three more in other countries. Patton says that in addition to that there are many inactive chapters that may be reopening soon.
The Pink Pistols describes itself as "an international LGBT self-defense organization" that advocates for gay people to acquire concealed carry permits. Group activities include bringing in NRA-certified instructors to help train members at shooting ranges and engaging in political activism. Pink Pistols is generally made up of gun-loving LGBT individuals, but also includes straight ally members.
Founded in 2000, the Pink Pistols was inspired by author, Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institute. Rauch urged LGBT people to exercise their Second Amendment rights to prevent "gay-bashers" from attacks. "They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry," Rauch wrote in a Salon magazine article that year. "If it became widely known that homosexuals carry guns and know how to use them, not many bullets would need to be fired."
Last Sunday was not the first time LGBT community members were targeted based on sexual orientation or gender.
According to the FBI, there are nearly 1,600 hate crimes committed against LGBT individuals each year. In 2011, the nation's law enforcement agencies reported that there were 7,713 victims of hate crimes and of those victims 1,572 were targeted due to a sexual-orientation bias.
The Pink Pistols say they are fighting back.
According to the group, if more people know that members of the LGBT community may be armed, the less likely they will be to single LGBT people out for an attack. The day after the Orlando shooting, the group released a statement calling on LGBT community members to arm themselves. In the statement, Patton told readers to blame the gunman not the gun.
The Pink Pistols have also filed amicus briefs on high-profile gun-rights cases, including Silviera v. Lockyer and Heller v. District of Columbia.
"We have a vested interest in promoting an environment in which our members can exercise their rights. If they don't have that right, they can't carry lawfully to defend themselves," Patton said. "So we promote an environment in which they can. It's that simple."
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orland ... ng-n594701
LGBT Gun Rights Group Sees Membership Spike After Orlando Shooting
by Bradleigh Miranda Chance
Pink Pistols Group Takes Up Arms in Georgia 1:32
The Pink Pistols, a national gun club for gays and lesbians, wants their community to take up arms in self defense in the wake of a deadly shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Spokesperson Gwendolyn Patton, who argues that the LGBT community needs to exercise their Second Amendment rights in order to defend themselves, says the group saw membership soar from about 1,500 members before the Orlando shooting on Sunday to 3,500 on Monday.
The spike in interest comes after at least 49 people were killed and at least 53 were wounded when gunman, Omar Mateen opened fire and took hostages at a LGBT-friendly nightclub in Orlando last weekend. The massacre was the worst mass shooting in American history and Patton says the interest in LGBT gun rights is at an all-time high.
The Pink Pistols says they have gained 1,000 more members over the course of the week, putting their total membership at approximately 4,500. The group continues to see dozens of new chapters pop up across the country.
"We've had the greatest response in three areas, our Facebook page, which has tripled in size, our chapters, we have so many requests for information on starting new chapters I've lost count, and the sheer number of people offering services such as training to our members," Patton said.
The group claims 45 active chapters across 33 states in the U.S. and three more in other countries. Patton says that in addition to that there are many inactive chapters that may be reopening soon.
The Pink Pistols describes itself as "an international LGBT self-defense organization" that advocates for gay people to acquire concealed carry permits. Group activities include bringing in NRA-certified instructors to help train members at shooting ranges and engaging in political activism. Pink Pistols is generally made up of gun-loving LGBT individuals, but also includes straight ally members.
Founded in 2000, the Pink Pistols was inspired by author, Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institute. Rauch urged LGBT people to exercise their Second Amendment rights to prevent "gay-bashers" from attacks. "They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry," Rauch wrote in a Salon magazine article that year. "If it became widely known that homosexuals carry guns and know how to use them, not many bullets would need to be fired."
Last Sunday was not the first time LGBT community members were targeted based on sexual orientation or gender.
According to the FBI, there are nearly 1,600 hate crimes committed against LGBT individuals each year. In 2011, the nation's law enforcement agencies reported that there were 7,713 victims of hate crimes and of those victims 1,572 were targeted due to a sexual-orientation bias.
The Pink Pistols say they are fighting back.
According to the group, if more people know that members of the LGBT community may be armed, the less likely they will be to single LGBT people out for an attack. The day after the Orlando shooting, the group released a statement calling on LGBT community members to arm themselves. In the statement, Patton told readers to blame the gunman not the gun.
The Pink Pistols have also filed amicus briefs on high-profile gun-rights cases, including Silviera v. Lockyer and Heller v. District of Columbia.
"We have a vested interest in promoting an environment in which our members can exercise their rights. If they don't have that right, they can't carry lawfully to defend themselves," Patton said. "So we promote an environment in which they can. It's that simple."
