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Editorial Director
David Hauslaib | Email
Editor
Andrew Belonsky | Email
Publisher
Jossip Initiatives
The Pink Pistols pose a political problem for many gays - and, in fact, conservatives. Though they have no technical mission statement, the gun-toting gays have liberal gun control their personal mission. Now, we're not talking Liberal with the politically-minded capital "L", we're talking liberal, as in the group wants to see more generous gun laws. As patriots, they aim for a nation where everyone can carry a gun for self-defense.
Their perhaps unfashionable stance make the Pink Pistols, like their politics, one of the most contentious gay groups in America.
As Pink Pistoller Jeff Soyer tells journo Sarah Klein,
They're trying to get urban gays and lesbians to not be afraid of the one instrument that, when used properly and legally, can save their lives. They take the mystique and scariness out of guns and show that a firearm is simply a tool.While many gays and lesbians give them flack for their firearm fetish, the Pink Pistols have a strong, albeit quiet, ally in the National Rifle Association.
The NRA, of course, does have a mission statement - and a very narrow one, at that. When asked about the Pink Pistols, NRA spokesperson Ashley Varner remarks:
We are a single-issue group. We support every law-abiding American's Second Amendment rights but we don't take any position on other specific groups.On this note, Klein references pro-gun Dr. Michael Brown, who correctly points out that if the NRA were to promote the Pink Pistols, the 136-year old organization would alienate much of its conservative base. And, according to Klein, some gay organizations eschew the sissy shooters. She mentions that HRC and PFLAG both declined to comment.
The Pink Pistols, then, become an activist orphan: disowned by their pansy peers and ignored by their conservative comrades-in-arms. But, Nikki Stallard, a transgender Pistol toter, tells Klein their needn't be such a chasm:
The left and the right may disagree, but there's a common agreement that the government should be accountable to its people. The sad part is that we could actually work with conservatives on a lot of issues if we weren't so busy insulting them.Perhaps in some instances, yes, but not according to a San Jose PP member, Carla Satra, who has firmly aligned herself against Liberal (notice the "L") gays who work toward more strict gun control:
I'm very much appalled by people who call themselves liberal that would be willing to sacrifice victims to criminal violence to support their politics.She'd be sickened by San Jose Police Office, Sgt. Nick Muyo's comments: he encourages harassed or attacked people to call the coppers lest the streets flow with even more blood.There are a great many so-called liberal people who have this wonderful fantasy of a world where there's no violence, and allow their fantasy world to demand that prospective victims be disarmed so they'll be helpless in the face of violent criminals. I'm appalled at the concept of victim disarmament. I really don't want to see any more violence, and weapons are a deterrent.
As for us, while we have to respect one's right to bear arms, we prefer flower pistils to the kind that can kill. Although, we suppose a flower could kill - if you're really, really allergic. Or it's hemlock or something.
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Just to correct one thing: I am gay and I support the Pink Pistols completely, but I am not an actual member since there is no Pink Pistols affiliate in my area at this time. I do cover all of these issues daily on my website Alphecca and to show that the NRA could care less (as an organization, there are always a few members who act like jerks) about my orientation, for two years I was a paid weekly commentator on the NRA News radio show.
I am a member of Pink Pistols, a social liberal and fiscal conservative, and Libertarian in practice and at heart. I live a rural, secluded lifestyle with my partner or 28 years in Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains and have a rifle/pistol range in my back yard. I teach others how to safely handle and shoot firearms of all types.
Even if you are not a gun enthusiast, you can join, support and learn from Pink Pistols - its a Yahoo Groups-based outfit. Even non-gays are welcome to join as long as they are gay friendly. If you are gay and need a place to shoot and live in the Northeast PA (Scranton) or Southern Tier (Greater Binghamton) area, you will be welcome at my shooting range. Maybe we can even start a local Pink Pistols chapter. Contact: aljohn@nep.net
Sorry you found our website so cumbersome. We'll have to see if we can simplify that single pulldown menu in the future.
I thought I would pop by and give you our mission statement, since you were unable to find it. It was in the first paragraph on the main page, under the Jonathan Rauch quote.
The Pink Pistols are dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual minority community.
We also strive for public awareness of the same, for when the public knows that any random queer may be armed and ready for effective self-defense, those who mean us harm think twice about acting on those impulses.
THAT is our mission.
Next time you can't find something on our site, please don't assume we don't have it. Kindly drop an email and we'll help you out.
---Gwen Patton
International Media Contact
I thing the NRA magazine might have approvingly mentioned the Pink Pistols now and then in their magazine. (If I had not heard of the Pink Pistols from the NRA, I certainly read about them from some portion of the gun-lobby.) The laws the NRA promotes would give the Pink Pistols the opportunity to obtain handgun carry permits, so I'm not sure what more support you expect the NRA to provide. If the Pink Pistols ask the NRA to provide instructors, I'm sure the NRA would help.
As for the general gay rights agenda, individual NRA members are free to have their own opinions. Perhaps the NRA's popularity among rural Americans gives it a higher percentage of cultural and religious conservatives than many other groups, but members wishing to pursue other issues must pursue them via other organizations.
As for this NRA member, I support the right of gays as American citizens to carry handguns for self-protection, and to use them against violent gay bashers. That said, with respect to an anti-gun gay man or woman who works to ensure my own helplessness when threatened by a mugger or carjacker, such a person when violently attacked should not expect my sympathy. That has nothing to do with their sexual orientation, however; I am equally unsympathetic towards anti-gun breeders.
I find it odd that you would bring to light the conflict with traditional left/right politics, but leave out the fact that this apparent disconnect is a non-issue for Libertarians, whose platform is actually based on the Constitution and therefore not confounded by radical ideas like a gay man or woman owning a gun. Tip to both Libs and Cons: if your worldview can't stretch to accomodate the Pink Pistols in the most elightened nation on earth, then your worldview is inherently flawed. I encourage all Americans to look to the Libertarian Party to solve many of the contradictions that traditional partisanship has created.
Mike Shipley
Phoenix Pink Pistols
Yes our group is "controversial", but why?
Isn't defending yourself against violence a human right?
When members of the LBGT community get attacked oten we are dealing with mulitple attackers.
I will respect anyone who chooses to be a unarmed victim, all I ask is they respect my right to be a armed survivor.
I reakize many in the gay community hate guns, fine, don't buy one.
A gun prohibition would be as effective as our drug war, it would create a new black market for organize4d crime.
Hell, you already got a black market in illegal guns.
Even if all guns were banned and turned in criminals would have guns because black market dealers would either smuggle them or manufacture them.
If it came to that the common wtreet gun would be a full automatic machine pistol wsince it would have the lowest manufacturing costs and highest profit margins.
Our group can talk with conservatives, like it or not, dialogue has to happen between people.
We may not agree on everything, but we see each other as human beings and that is a start to ending hate crimes.
40 states now have concealed weapons permit systems that have a reasonable and workable balance between the personal right of self protection and legitiamte public safety concerns.
Hopefully New York and California will join the rest of the country in reforming discriminatory gun laws that provide special privileges.
Apparently equal rights doesn't apply whenit comes to ccw permits. So much for equal under the law.