Pink Pistols: Meet the Queers Who Still Want More Guns

Photos by Ryan Pfluger

"We tend to destroy stereotypes on a regular basis," says Gwen Patton, a longstanding member of the Delaware Valley Pink Pistols, an LGBT group that subscribes to the motto "Pick on Someone Your Own Caliber." While many in the LGBT community have felt inspired to mobilize for greater gun control postOrlando, the Pink Pistols are making the opposite case: that in a hostile world, we should be defending ourselves with arms. Membership has apparently rocketed. "Many times you don't even know you're in trouble until someone is right there," says member Tom Nelson. "You can try calling 911, but I can guarantee that you may not dial the fucking '1' before they're all over you. The police are very good at comforting families who've lost somebody, but that's not really what we're all about." If you suggest that crime statistics show that most gun fatalities in America are the result of family disputes, the Pistols loudly protest. "That's the Kellerman study, and it has been completely debunked," says Patton, adding that most gun owners are lawabiding citizens who never even get to use their arms. "In 90 to 95% of defensive gun use, the gun isn't even fired," she says. Andrew Greene, who purchased his first shotgun at 18, is a case in point. "I was coming from Philadelphia's gay area, and I passed some collegeage kids on a stoop, and they began to follow me. I noticed that they had some lengths of metal pipe. I got to my car, and one of them shouted, "Hey faggot," at me, and I drew my revolver on them over the top of the car, and the response was immediate." The Pistols all chuckle.

Like what you see here? Subscribe and be the first to receive the latest issue of OUT. Subscribe to print here and receive a complimentary digital subscription.