Love and the Straight Shooter

Looking for a novel, perhaps controversial, way to meet a potential lover?

You might consider joining a gun club.

The Human Rights Campaign reports that crimes against people perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered were on the rise in 2002. The Pink Pistols intend to combat violence against homosexuals, but not by wearing ribbons or writing to their congressmen.

“Pick on someone your own caliber,” the gun group warns on its web site. Their slogan is also to the point: “Armed gays don't get bashed.”

Pink Pistols found its inspiration in a March 2000 article by Jonathan Rauch in Salon Magazine. Rauch suggested that gays and lesbians “set up task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible.”

As of this writing, there are 41chapters of Pink Pistols in 29 states, three chapters in Ohio alone. The members, both gay males and lesbians, get together on a more or less monthly basis at a local firing range to practice how to blow away the bad guys. In addition to providing training in how to use a weapon safely and legally, Pink Pistols offers help on choosing a firearm, as well as provides assistance in acquiring a permit. There are no dues to pay, no forms to fill out, and no political affiliation involved.

The Pink Pistols also socialize. If you’re gay, interested in self-defense, and support the Second Amendment, this is a unique way to meet a honey. Even if you know enough about firearms to put the safety on your pistol after you’re finished blasting holes in a target, you can always feign ignorance as an excuse to ask that attractive guy to help you do it. He can also show you how to hold your weapon, and maybe have to put his arms around you to do it. Before long, the two of you may be putting the safety on each other’s weapons and having another kind of blast.

We've come a long way, baby. In 1969, when the drag queens of the Stonewall Inn stood their ground against police harassment, the most lethal weapons in their arsenal were bobby pins and hair curlers. Now, a queer basher whose only fear is being hit with a purse may get a blow job instead - from the barrel of a .45.

Guns and gays may not seem compatible. Anyone who associates guns with machismo (and machismo with heterosexuality), may laugh when thinking about a bunch of pistol packin’ pansies. On the other hand, some gays and lesbians are not amused to know that their GLBT brothers and sisters have taken up guns.

Gun ownership smacks of right-wing conservatism, and since right-wing conservatives are generally opposed to anything remotely gay, more liberal minded homosexuals may accuse the Pink Pistols of consorting with the enemy. But the Founding Fathers were among the most open-minded men in history. They were libertarians, rather than liberals, who believed in freedom, including the right to bear arms and protect oneself against attack.

For gays and lesbians who oppose guns on political grounds, or, like me, are big sissies when it comes to handling firearms, there are other options. Check your local gay newspaper or community center to find classes that teach other forms of self-defense to GLBT people. You might want to consider learning karate. If you don't want to break heads with your hands, practice swinging that purse, but be sure to pass on the skill to others. Learn to defend yourself, and meet someone while doing it.

More information on Pink Pistols is available on their website at pinkpistols.org.

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