What we’re about
What are the “Pink Pistols”?
We are a shooting group that honors diversity and is open to all shooters. We help bring new shooters into the practice and provide a fun social environment for all our members. We work to build bridges between the shooting community and other communities, such as those based on alternative sexualities. We advocate the use of lawfully-owned, lawfully-concealed firearms for the self-defense of the sexual minority community.
We teach queers to shoot. Then we teach others that we have done so. Armed queers don’t get bashed. We change the public perception of the sexual minorities, such that those who have in the past perceived them as safe targets for violence and hateful acts — beatings, assaults, rapes, murders — will realize that that now, a segment of the sexual minority population is now armed and effective with those arms. Those arms are also concealed, so they do not know which ones are safe to attack, and which are not…which they can harm as they have in the past, and which may draw a weapon and fight back.
The Pink Pistols are the ones who have decided to no longer be safe targets. They have teeth. They will use them.
Do I need to be queer to join?
You don’t have to be queer to join us, any more than you have to be Black to support civil rights, or be Jewish to support the JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership). We include members from the GLBT, Polyamarous, and BDSM communities, but you don’t need to be gay or have an alternative sexuality to join and shoot with us. We like to say that we are FOR the sexual minority community, but not exclusively OF it. We welcome anybody.
Do I need to know how to shoot, or have my own equipment?
No, want to make the practice accessible and we are friendly to new shooters. We can give you basic instruction, and on all our range trips you can either rent guns and ammunition or club members will bring extra for you. Of course, this is subject to local laws — some states or municipalities may restrict loaning of weapons, but we will do our best.
Are you associated with a political party?
No. We are strictly non-partisan.