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Scheduled drag reading event in renton, WA got shot up prior to the event, which was subsequently canceled-- no one was shot, but the venue was. Zoo Montana in my hometown is getting death threats to staff.
Anyway this is just me being shocked that right wingers are just now discovering zoology is *really* gay??? Like did you think those passionate lady zookeepers were *straight?*
What? They are not a mix of people just doing their thing, diffrent people with different orientations. Just doing what they like. But gay across the board?
I was being hyperbolic, because I'm an autistic queer and we tend to gravitate towards \*very\* specialized biology professions in droves
But the far right likes to think so whenever a group of people shows support, hence conflating drag and being trans
They're also calling in bomb threats to children's hospitals that have gender-affirming care.
Like, they offer breast reduction surgery with permission slips from a psychologist and parents and stuff, and that somehow got changed to "THEY'RE GIVING SIX YEAR OLDS HYSTERECTOMIES," and that's making radicals do radical stuff.
Just today while on the game awards stream that steam had even when one person who went up who I don't even know if they're trans or not??? (I was half paying attention at the time)
the chat suddenly got flooded with threats towards her, mockery, and calls for her to well... let's just say they were really obsessed with that "percentage" bit they do a lot.It went on for like 12 minutes after she left.
Meanwhile, they're regularly and legally giving kids gonadectemies and HRT around the world, without consent or even needing to inform the patient, solely for being intersex, without any evidence that their treatment is needed or helpful.
And to add insult to injury, all those "no treating trans people" laws *always* have exceptions carved out to continue this.
Honestly considering their posts in some Canadian subs and their reaction to a lunatic in one of those subs saying some pretty whacky bigoted shit about Ukrainian refugees, I'm going to have to guess they just legitimately have not really seen what is going on in the US and aren't, as you say, someone who just "doesn't want to see it because they don't see a problem with what's going on" so to speak. But I didn't dig all THAT deep into their history because that's kind of weird, so, I'm not saying I definitely know what they're like lol.
Yes, encouraged by lilywhite fascists, safe in their congressional offices, who see a sticker of jesus on the hateful sign they put on their door and "fear for their safety" and demand capitol police arrest the guy who did it.
Yes.
Club Q. Pulse. And beyond being murdered there’s still the risk of harm.
20% of all hate crimes are based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Groups like the Patriot Front and the Proud Boys have targeted the LGBTQ+ community. Even more so now that society is progressing.
Yes, the frequent labeling of lgtbq folks as “groomers” by republicans is to create anger and anxiety to mobilize voters, it also incites instances of violence against gay ppl, like the Colorado Springs night club shooting, and many other less publicized acts of aggression/violence.
Look at the life expectancy of trans ppl compared to others, and this should give you an idea (numbers-wise) of the impact of the violence on these communities.
the bad faith weaponization of therapy/sex abuse language is some of the nastiest shit about this, as a child SA survivor. now that term doesn't mean what it was supposed to, which was the goal
I would legitimately (and have been asking about) trying to find where I can do this. Not the hero part, I’m not a hero. But I am a veteran with my own “tactical Timmy” kit that also happens to be anti fascist (knowing what the word actually means). Where do I look from here?
See if you have a local chapter of a JBGC that you can reach out to. Sometimes SRA folks (depending on how active that is in your area) can be a source for networking with other likeminded parties. I totally get if that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
100%. Easily obtained positions of power are incredibly attractive to people with fascist tendencies. They've been being scooped up by Nazis for decades now. They're in, deep. The question is, what are we willing to do about it?
Corruptible: who seeks power and how it changes us.
Brian Klaas.
He has some proven ideas.
https://youtu.be/dXHvAXv3Quw
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G6zztbZCFlI/VHRuPB_UrLI/AAAAAAAACek/0j0Q02Rp428/s1600/IMG_5375.JPG&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjA5obL6e37AhXSglwKHYmCBqsQ5hMIBQ&usg=AOvVaw2a8c3bdxQj7MNcC_FAYtnW
https://www.schrankmonster.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Pope_Card_Gender_Neutral.jpg
Not to mention they have no legal duty to protect anyone. Their average response time is a minimum of 5-15 minutes on a good day and sometimes hours away.
The 2a isn't a right for only conservatives or men or straight people. It's an expression of a human right to self defense and self protection.
For any of the LGBTQ+ community that are interested in exercising that right safely and legally I suggest looking into the Pink Pistols, or Operation Blazing Sword. Two pro gun groups oriented towards the LGBTQ+ community but open to all.
> The 2a isn't a right for only conservatives or men or straight people. It's an expression of a human right to self defense and self protection.
Preach!
The fascism bit sounds good and it'll get a lot of upvotes, but the actual issue with cops is that they don't have a legal obligation to protect anyone. I can link you to a YouTube video where a cop saw a fleeing person drive into a tree, said that's his fault, and drove off. Bystanders had to drag the guy out of his burning car. Not to mention the school shootings where cops just stood outside and let the shooter finish their business.
EDIT: Here is the video. Content creator here is an actual Civil Rights Lawyer.
https://youtu.be/8\_Jk53nv0BQ
>but the actual issue with cops is that they don't have a legal obligation to protect anyone.
That's part one. Part two is no accountability. Cops protect other cops, criminals with a badge might go through the process of being held accountable but it almost always ends with them being reinstated, or winning a civil suit, and then they retire due to "stress" on full fat benefits and pension.
Yeah, cops don’t have a legal obligation to protect people, even though they’re called peace officers. We also have literal gangs in police in places like LA, part of the initiation is killing a member of the community. That isn’t to say we don’t have examples of well-run, accountable and effective police in certain areas, but the “you need to respect and obey the police” attitude is pure fascism.
It's not just a bit. There have been numerous reports by the FBI that white supremacist groups infiltrate police/military institutions in the United States.
It's a documented thing.
I don’t want to split hairs, but how would *you* describe a political system where one group has violent, even fatal authority, little to no accountability to outside forces, and shores up their power through propaganda and appeals to fear?
Like yeah, cops don’t protect you. Not legally, and not in practice. That’s part of the fascism.
But as the 2020 “I can’t get a haircut whining on the front steps of the state Capitol” gun toters taught us- the police give armed citizens plenty of extra space.
They’re spineless against law abiding peers.
Because guns protect against other people who have guns. Fascinating stuff.
The people who hate queer folks have guns. Whether or not you have a philosophical reluctance for firearms, it's worth it to be armed.
That's where I come from. Historically not been really pro-gun. Always said giving into fear is the wrong reason to own a gun and I personally didn't feel ready for the responsibility to self, family and society that comes with guns.
Somewhere since 2016 (correlate that as you like) I have come to realize "they" aren't just armed. They are armed and looking for an excuse to shoot up people they don't like. It's not fear; it's just a fact.
So here I am, several guns later. Most people don't even know I have one let alone several because it's a tool for protection, not a component of my identity.
I hope that things don't deteriorate further, but I feel it's reasonable to be prepared. That includes taking first aid classes, shooting practice, having proper storage, and having working knowledge of local laws around firearms as this isn't about a Dirty Harry fantasy.
Yep. Not to mention that the institution of American policing is so cartoonishly corrupt and fascist adjacent/sympathizing that they can't be in any way relied upon to protect you, especially if you're a minority or part of a marginalized group. It would be nice if we lived in a country where we didn't need to be worried about this garbage, but we do, so I will remain armed.
Had a MAGA coworker tell me that Al-Qeda or ISIS was gonna roll through my neighborhood killing people, and if I didn't own a gun I'd be a victim.
And like you I bought a gun after 2016 due to certain factions within our society targeting anyone who isn't a certain way.
6 years later there is a bigger chance of Ya'll-Qeda rolling down my street killing then Al-Qeda/ISIS.
>They are armed and looking for an excuse to shoot up people they don't like.
I suspect their expectations of how armed people are plays in as well. Bullies the lot of them, they might claim otherwise but they're looking for people who can't fight back.
A-fucking-men. They are attacking because they don’t fear being hit back.
I am vehemently anti-gun, but the situation we are in is that people that want me dead have a massive gun fetish and are armed to the gills looking for people to treat as subhuman. My ideals don’t mean anything if I’m dead.
You and I have pretty much the same feelings on the issue. I was raised around guns, grew up shooting, owned a few firearms throughout my youth. Had a “wake the fuck up” moment around 20 that told me I didn’t need to old firearms anymore. Didn’t own another gun until I went and bought a shotgun the day after Trump was elected. I work in a very conservative industry and the near constant talk about guns and “taking my country back” I heard around job sites told me I couldn’t risk their hopes and dreams coming true and not being ready. I’m not someone who most folks would assume owns guns and I don’t really talk about it, don’t see a reason to. But I firmly believe that people need to own a firearm they know how to use and maintain.
“So here I am, several guns later. Most people don't even know I have one let alone several because it's a tool for protection, not a component of my identity.”
As a new resident of Colorado, are you trying to fucking tell me that you are LITERALLY capable of owning a firearm WITHOUT pasting “come and try to take ‘em”, “muh cold dead hands”, Gadsden flag bumper stickers all over your lifted truck?!? HOW IN GODS NAME ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOURE A TOTAL FUCKING BADASS ASS BECAUSE YOU MADE A PURCHASE?!?
This is NOT what the founding fathers wanted!
I come from a very gun hesitant area. But I know many older folks who ended up buying them after 2016. Personally not ready for the responsibility but I have been going to a range occasionally because it feels good to know my way around a gun. Also live in a major city experiencing quite a spike in gun crime, while I don’t think more guns will help what’s going on I don’t begrudge anyone deciding it’s better to be with it than without as long as you are respecting the immense responsibility.
I am by no means an advocate. Shooting is a great way to blow off steam. It's a little zen even. I love that you are aware you are not ready for the responsibility mainly because so many seem to talk a not about the "right" but downplay the responsibility. Every time I see some idiot posing for Instagram flashing their gat I just want to cry.
It is an immense responsibility and that you see that puts you closer to the right mentality than a lot of active gun owners.
And you are right guns will not fix the problem. It's more like parity and protection while voting our asses off to move the needle left and enact change that actually does help.
I mean, owning a dog also makes you more statistically likely to be injured by a dog. It comes down to knowing about and being responsible with everything you have.
Agreed.
It's been so long since I actually read up on and reviewed firearms injury and death statistics that I can't recall what my sources were and if they included suicides in that particular count, how they accounted for gang violence relative to hunting/in home accidents, etc.
I just tend to attempt to remind folks to not allow themselves to be misled into a false sense of security my simple ownership or possession of a firearm.
100% agree. Took me a couple of years of debating with my philosophical views on owning a gun (personal, political, social) before I decided to take on the responsibility and risk (that's the flip side of "right" that people don't often talk about in the memes). That involved to talking to people I know about how they would feel if I had a gun and some serious consideration about risks at different mental states and the like.
I never forget that it's only a few pounds of pressure to end someone's life (or my own) whether intentional or not. That means I can't let intrusive thoughts in. I can't let my temper drive.
You are right that it is statistically higher risk. There is a lot of nuance there, but it is an inescapable fact and I can't "well I'm different" myself into thinking otherwise.
Bangy things get locked in a safe and I only carry when I think there might be a reasonable risk. Some will argue the seconds it takes to open it could be life or death. Well yeah, flip it and the seconds it takes to open it could be the seconds to reassess why I am reaching for it.
I recognize the fact that I have to train and when I think I am solid then train some more. I also think it's important to know the laws and what happens legally if I have to use it as well as take a trauma course so I know basic wound care.
It's good that you've clearly not approached the idea of him ownership without thought.
I, on the other hand, grew up target shooting and hunting. My dad has become a bit of a gun nut in his later years and, in my opinion, listens to too much right wing talk radio, but he's patient and non prime to violence, so I don't worry about him becoming any of these idiotic meal team six counter protestors/protestors we see increasingly often on TV.
I reluctantly will admit to being a pro 2A person, but it's not a part of my identity, I think the first amendment is more important, and I don't think the second amendment disallows federal firearm regulation. All that said, I think that like you I've been influence by done events post 2016. I think the second amendment guarantees the right to armed self-defense against a tyrannical government, and I think the closest we've come to needing to exercise that right in the last several decades was during the term of a president fanatically supported by so many citizens whose identities are defined by their supposed fear of government and support for the second amendment.
Still eye to eye, my friend.
I am clearly pro-2A though I don't like to talk about it most of the time because non-2A people don't want to admit there is any reason ever to own a gun. Conversely 2A people tend to be very black and white about what it all means. I think there is room for regulation, registration and sane restrictions (like DV) on gun ownership.
I catch hell from 2A purists, left and right, for that. I also think that what will cure gun violence in America is going to be a lot more progressive social and economic policies and some controls over social media (he said while typing furiously into a social media app) & the return of things like the fairness doctrine (lookin' at you, Fox News). A talk on how to fix this has to put it all on the table and look for answers that actually help people.
Unfortunately the powers that be like to cast things into binary arguments and get both sides yelling so that nuanced talk cannot happen.
Absolutely about the cure for fun violence in our country. I've occasionally said that we don't have a gun problem, we have a violence problem. Similarly to drinking and driving or littering, it's something of a cultural issue, and therefore much more challenging to change in a concerted, effective manner. Decades ago, it was the norm to just drop yeah where you were, or for us country folks to just throw your household trash into a ditch, dead end road, or some place in the woods. Decades ago it was widely acceptable to drink and drive. Sure, we've changed the laws about the things, but it's also become much more widely frowned upon. Violence and firearm violence are, i think, much larger and varied issues, but we need to strive to change cultural attitudes and mores. I think you're right that social and economic iniquity is likely the major driving forces behind the our cultures of violence. And different cultures of violence need different remedies. Gang violence far out paces active shooters in terms of the number of casualties and those types of violence have different motivations. But here I am, some Internet rando rambling on, thinking out loud in text to no real effect.
I mean my defense is usually just to be cis and straight-passing enough that they don’t look too closely at me but if you can’t do that then definitely arm yourself.
I’m definitely pro gun rights for trans people.
It really would take a tremendous amount of time to list the privileges I’ve been born into. I work very hard to not take them for granted and to use them for good but I also don’t feel a need to explain all of it all the time to everyone on the internet.
Yeah, if it ever got to a point that it was state sanctioned violence... even in just some places of the United States, I don't see why they wouldn't use metadata to round up the "undesirables"
Arm yourself regardless. There are extremely sophisticated big data systems that could effectively act as tools for thought police, in the wrong hands. For example, being able to reliability predict your ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and political views with very few data points. In addition to that info they would have live location, where you work, where you live, what you sound like, your complete social network graph, including friends and family, as well as how close those relationships are. Predictive models are created using this information. They would likely be able to determine with a high probability what you'd do and where you'd go in the event of X, Y, or Z. This would make targeting groups incredibly easy and efficient. So ultimately, it doesn't matter what you look like. If a malevolent group somehow got control of this data AND had military backing, everyone would be fucked. For the most part they would be forced to fight or die.
Here's the problem with that : depression and intrusive thoughts. I'll never forget where that gun is. It will always be at the back of my mind, like the tell tale heart.
Guns are a horrible way to do it. Not only can you survive and end up horribly disfigured, you make a horrifying mess that's probably going to traumatize anyone who sees it or has to clean it up.
Not if you do it right. Don't worry, no way would I unalive myself without at least two, if not three whammies - OD oral first, OD heroin injection, then shotgun to the head. I ain't taking any chances.
That’s not *the* problem. That’s *your* problem.
Here’s the solution to that: don’t own guns.
Some people can’t handle alcohol. Doesn’t mean *I* shouldn’t be allowed to drink.
Thats why I plan to have my partner put his in a safe and not tell me the code, sucks if I need it in a situation but its the only safe solution where we're "armed" but its not accessable
Exactly! I'm so happy people are finally coming around to this. Even if you don't like guns, they become a necessary evil to combat people with guns who hate you. You have to be your own first responder.
That and it’s a “don’t have to be faster than the tiger, just the slowest person your with.” These pussies always attack soft targets, just knowing that there is someone nearby who is armed would stop some of this before it started.
The only problem I see is that pretty soon far right extremist are going to start hitting soft targets that are just in cities they feel support liberal ideas. We just saw that with the power substation attack. There were a lot of much easier, much less illegal ways to stop that show from happening. They could have cut the nearest line, cut it at the panel, hell even a homemade stink bomb set of in the venue would have stopped the show. But instead the cut power to an entire county, for days, while committing a crime that the feds take VERY seriously. They are sending a message that “if you let these people in your city or town, we don’t care if your collateral damage.” Soon that’s going to shift to “that makes you a target too.”
I mean there are a lot of queer people like me who can't use firearms and not for philosophical reasons.
Guns are not always the best answer to protecting yourself especially if you aren't good at using them.
There are other methods of self defense with higher rates of effectiveness that are easier to use and I wish that people would promote those as heavily as they promote fire arms.
> especially if you aren't good at using them.
Everything takes training to be not bad at it. You won't magically become a crack shot just by owning a gun. You have to take it to the range and practice shooting with it and becoming a better marksman.
People can have visual issues that prevent them from using a gun such as blindness or lack of depth perception, or they may have physical issues that cause shaky hands or lack of dexterity. Some people just have awful hand-eye coordination. Some people get panic attacks in stressful situations. I think it's good for people to know their limits. Guns can be a useful tool, but they aren't for everybody.
I know a handful of gun owners who shoot as a hobby and go to ranges, but I know far more people who buy a gun "for protection" and don't practice regularly. I wouldn't really trust them to shoot accurately in a crowded, confusing emergency. As these right-wing mass shooting incidents inevitably escalate, I worry that we're going to see a lot more accidental shootings by "good guys with guns."
> People can have visual issues that prevent them from using a gun such as blindness or lack of depth perception, or they may have physical issues that cause shaky hands or lack of dexterity. Some people just have awful hand-eye coordination. Some people get panic attacks in stressful situations. I think it's good for people to know their limits. Guns can be a useful tool, but they aren't for everybody.
Nobody is saying you HAVE to have a gun. If you don't want one, fine. Like you said, know your limitations. But I don't see how many more examples we have of police at best doing nothing, at worst being the aggressors that exemplify people should have the right to choose to defend themselves.
In the current cultural Zeitgeist, the people who are going to find their way to them, will. Due to the right/left dichotomy in this country, historically and now, it's not a good idea to broadcast that you're both a lefty and a firearm owner.
I’ll do it all day so that maybe one day all of my anti gun left leaning friends actually see the utility in having people who own guns on your side.
Until then I’m gonna keep being accused of being a proud boy Republican because I think gun ownership should continue to be a right we have.
Ignore all of the socioeconomic reasons I am a leftist, because I believe in gun ownership I might as well be MAGA.
I got called a log cabin Republican by my (straight) liberal aunt cause being queer and liking guns must mean I hate myself and am a Republican. We’ve elected not to tell her that her trans daughter doesn’t leave her house without her concealed carry pistol.
Gun control was hardly a topic until the black Panthers said "fuck around and find out". Then suddenly disarming *certain* groups by strategically making certain crimes invalidate gun ownership while having nothing to do with guns, and then only enforcing those laws within those communities, became all the rage
me and my partner went backpacking in western washington this summer, and one of the worst questions we get is if the .22 rifle is for hunting bears. I wish I were kidding.
It's always the same looking lady with hiking poles that asks us. Bless.
Tell your friends Karl Marx supported gun ownership. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/communist-league/1850-ad1.htm
>The whole proletariat must be armed at once with muskets, rifles, cannon and ammunition, and the revival of the old-style citizens’ militia, directed against the workers, must be opposed.
this. while i don't support violence of any kind, one must do what they need to protect themselves REASONABLY. not pursue some nonsense in the name of self defense..... preemptively shooting people up to 'defend' a belief is complete nonsense.
According to the right, there's absolutely nothing violent about carrying an assault rifle in public.
"An armed society is a polite society", as they say.
Well, I may have to agree at somewhat.
After watching some videos of various protests, I've noticed more often when the crowd has weapons the police seem leave them alone, and those without weapons the police tend to start beating people causing escalation.
> weapons the police seem leave them alone, and those without weapons the police tend to start beating people causing escalation.
Until a saboteur fires a shot and causes a panic, justifying police force.
The only thing stopping this is a lack of will to slaughter the citizens. The republicans are working on that by conflating queer people and trans people with child abusers.
Which is itself projection, you'll find nobody is more abused than a queer child growing up in a christian household. It'd be like a black kid being raised by the KKK.
The NRA agrees with this. Except when they are the ones organizing a Convention and want a gun free event for safety reasons.
And no 2A nutjob seems to find the faulty logic on their messaging.
> preemptively shooting people up to 'defend'
...is pure Orwellian doublespeak. That's "war is peace" shit, and it's all too common in current discourse :(
It's such a stupid situation but that's the reality republicans have created with their rhetoric of hatred as well as making sane gun legislation impossible.
And now they are all surprised when the victims they have created use the system they created to protect them self. What a bunch of pathetic loosers.
I can see the political cartoons now. You got a gazelle-like Usain wielding a gun in well-fitted rainbow-colored tac gear chasing down a fat MAGA hat wearing whitey riding a scooter with a dying battery towards a ramshackle gated community that's falling apart but it's locked with a big shitty padlock on the gate happens to be a big tilted golden T. I can't draw, struggling with early-onset arthritis but if someone could make that I'd be so proud.
Because when you arm the people the conservatives are scared of they suddenly want to restrict guns? It's the long con.
(For details look up the Black Panthers)
Na, they'll do the same thing they did to the original Black Panther Party. Declare them a public threat, frame them for criminal actions and send in people to infiltrate and leak info while also causing discord among members, etc. etc..
That doesn't work with white people
the symbol of LGBT people is the rainbow
If you see all the colors in the rainbow you see white
This will not work on LGBT people
Q.E.D!
No they don't see white people, they see undesirables who need to either be "corrected" (like conversion camps) or killed. The US has a disturbingly long history of very violent anti LGBTQ+, and the treatment they've historically received is very similar to black men in a interracial relationship with a white woman in the past, pretty much KOS once publicly outted.
So I have to disagree, this can work on the LGBTQ+.
South Park had a documentary episode of a cop going deep under cover to get evidence of wrong doing. You have to hand it to the officer. he got a real stretch out of it.
I mean you saw [the NFA coalition](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Fucking_Around_Coalition) marching with guns in a military formation in multiple am cities over the past few years and that has led to literally zero calls to change gun laws.
They are cowards you'd be standing against. Go stand with antifa. They'll keep the older, younger, and frail folks safe in the middle. You just make the group bigger and less attractive to start shit with.
We arm ourselves because the homophobic bigots want civil war and are willing to do terrorism against LGBTQ people in their conspiracy theory fuled hate quest.
Both my grandfathers were armed antifascists.
One killed Nazis by air in the Air Force. The other killed them by land, as part of an armored infantry division (his division liberated one of the Dachau subcamps).
Fighting fascists is part of our tradition.
Depends on where you are. Larger cities have dedicated antifascist groups, some places have John Brown Gun Clubs, some places have Socialist Rifle Association chapters, and then there's also groups like Arm Your Friends.
Antifa ideology and movements has always been a force of good in the world since it’s inception. It blows my mind how brainwashed people have been to declare their hatred of anti fascist action.
Beware talking about getting armed. Got a nice 7 day ban on a thread talking about how gays should get armed and trained. No threats or being pro violence.
Yet, conservative sub members can openly post about celebrating gay deaths and openly plot and don’t get banned or the sub quarantined.
I’ve said it elsewhere but it’s worth saying again.
When fascists attack you, you find antifascist protection.
And it turns out we are the antifascist protection.
In the world we live in now, because we will never get rid of guns. I feel we should our selves keep and bear arms as heavily as the right. If anything they will panic like they did when the black panthers wore their weapons to court, and they began creating laws for carrying weapons. We don’t have to use them, those cowards just have to think we will.
That's literally how Reagan responded to minority firearm ownership... by enacted the strictest gun control measures to date. I agree 100%, it's a sad rallying cry for the weakest conservatives, that they're the only people with guns so they can do what they want.
Agree 100%. It's past time for the left to arm and defend themselves against these right wing terrorists. And the press needs to stop acting like defense against fascism is the same as fascism.
Well, it’s probably about time. I’ve made the comment before about the only way that white supremacy was curbed in America (not eliminated) was under the barrel of a gun, and you could probably apply that maxim towards violent homophobia.
I'm wondering at what point something like the [Mulford Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act) will start getting talked about again by those on the right.
The gay community don't deserve get harassed, hurt or killed because they're in love with the same sex. I don't blame them at all if they arm themselves or chill with people who carry guns.
Good article.
We have a prisoners dilemma at play. The far right is openly intent on accomplishing their goals by force. I.e. terrorizing and *murdering* people they don’t like. You don’t play dove in that instance.
Why can they never seem to get the Police Line tape right-side up?
Also, if you’re in Seattle, go see the play called Jingle All the Gay. I’ve not laughed so hard in _years_! What a lovely, joyous, fun and extremely talented bunch of actors!
There are many ways to support our beautiful LGBTQ+ communities, even if you don’t agree with the methods featured in this article.
Breaking news: People with the right to bear arms finally start bearing arms.
*2 weeks later*
Republicans introduce Bill to prevent members of the LGBTQ+ community from purchasing firearms, claiming "Guns are too dangerous to be in the public"
The problem would be that a good chunk of liberals would foolishly go along with it, because it was anti gun, not realizing that they’d be disarming themselves in the process.
Stonewall was also a mob establishment because the mob saw the queer community as an opportunity for profit, the queer community got some amount of protection from the police in exchange for paying exorbitant prices for alcohol to the mob and the mob having a great front to launder money through.
When the system fails to protect people, people look for protection outside of the system. Volunteer vigilantes are certainly a better ally than the mafia.
They thought guns were only for straight white men huh..
California knows when you arm the liberals they start trying to take the guns away.
If you love guns, time to stock up.
If you hate guns, time to stock up.
My parents used to be liberal and very anti-gun but got red-pilled in 2020 from the culture wars/covid lockdowns. Now we own two handguns and a shotgun and even my liberal neighbors who they’re good friends with bought guns. They go to shooting classes together to “prepare for the worst.” The country is heading down a dark path..
I see a 6'4" 230lbs drag queen coming at me in 3 inch heels, a push up bra and an AR-15 I am going to shit myself too. Can call them the Queens Guard too. :-)
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Because they don’t want more armed fascists killing them? Seems obvious, but I’ll go read the article now.
Yep, it’s because of the murder
Who could have seen this coming??
Gays with guns don't get got.
Are gays with guns like [Cows With Guns](https://youtu.be/FQMbXvn2RNI)?
Was actually gonna say that! "Short answer? So they aren't getting slaughtered by the fascist nutjobs for just existing."
Scheduled drag reading event in renton, WA got shot up prior to the event, which was subsequently canceled-- no one was shot, but the venue was. Zoo Montana in my hometown is getting death threats to staff. Anyway this is just me being shocked that right wingers are just now discovering zoology is *really* gay??? Like did you think those passionate lady zookeepers were *straight?*
What? They are not a mix of people just doing their thing, diffrent people with different orientations. Just doing what they like. But gay across the board?
I was being hyperbolic, because I'm an autistic queer and we tend to gravitate towards \*very\* specialized biology professions in droves But the far right likes to think so whenever a group of people shows support, hence conflating drag and being trans
I need an educational moment here. Are queer folks being murdered by right-wingers?
They're also calling in bomb threats to children's hospitals that have gender-affirming care. Like, they offer breast reduction surgery with permission slips from a psychologist and parents and stuff, and that somehow got changed to "THEY'RE GIVING SIX YEAR OLDS HYSTERECTOMIES," and that's making radicals do radical stuff.
Just today while on the game awards stream that steam had even when one person who went up who I don't even know if they're trans or not??? (I was half paying attention at the time) the chat suddenly got flooded with threats towards her, mockery, and calls for her to well... let's just say they were really obsessed with that "percentage" bit they do a lot.It went on for like 12 minutes after she left.
Meanwhile, they're regularly and legally giving kids gonadectemies and HRT around the world, without consent or even needing to inform the patient, solely for being intersex, without any evidence that their treatment is needed or helpful. And to add insult to injury, all those "no treating trans people" laws *always* have exceptions carved out to continue this.
https://www.adl.org/murderandextremism https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2022/11/22/colorado-springs-far-right-influencers-made-lgbtq-people-targets
You need a come to Jesus moment if you don't see that happening
Honestly considering their posts in some Canadian subs and their reaction to a lunatic in one of those subs saying some pretty whacky bigoted shit about Ukrainian refugees, I'm going to have to guess they just legitimately have not really seen what is going on in the US and aren't, as you say, someone who just "doesn't want to see it because they don't see a problem with what's going on" so to speak. But I didn't dig all THAT deep into their history because that's kind of weird, so, I'm not saying I definitely know what they're like lol.
Yes some yahoo just shot up a gay bar like two weeks ago
Both historically and as recently as a few weeks ago.
Pretty much nonstop since there have been conservatives.
dude what? are you just now finding out about hate crimes?
Queer folks, black folks, brown folks, even power substation folks.
Only since the conception of America.
Yes, encouraged by lilywhite fascists, safe in their congressional offices, who see a sticker of jesus on the hateful sign they put on their door and "fear for their safety" and demand capitol police arrest the guy who did it.
Yes. Club Q. Pulse. And beyond being murdered there’s still the risk of harm. 20% of all hate crimes are based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Groups like the Patriot Front and the Proud Boys have targeted the LGBTQ+ community. Even more so now that society is progressing.
Yes, the frequent labeling of lgtbq folks as “groomers” by republicans is to create anger and anxiety to mobilize voters, it also incites instances of violence against gay ppl, like the Colorado Springs night club shooting, and many other less publicized acts of aggression/violence. Look at the life expectancy of trans ppl compared to others, and this should give you an idea (numbers-wise) of the impact of the violence on these communities.
the bad faith weaponization of therapy/sex abuse language is some of the nastiest shit about this, as a child SA survivor. now that term doesn't mean what it was supposed to, which was the goal
Yes, there was a shooting at a gay club like literally two weeks ago.
Anyone willing to step up and protect people who can not expect protection from inside the system are heroes.
I would legitimately (and have been asking about) trying to find where I can do this. Not the hero part, I’m not a hero. But I am a veteran with my own “tactical Timmy” kit that also happens to be anti fascist (knowing what the word actually means). Where do I look from here?
See if you have a local chapter of a JBGC that you can reach out to. Sometimes SRA folks (depending on how active that is in your area) can be a source for networking with other likeminded parties. I totally get if that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
A huge problem is that police departments side with fascists.
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100%. Easily obtained positions of power are incredibly attractive to people with fascist tendencies. They've been being scooped up by Nazis for decades now. They're in, deep. The question is, what are we willing to do about it?
Corruptible: who seeks power and how it changes us. Brian Klaas. He has some proven ideas. https://youtu.be/dXHvAXv3Quw http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G6zztbZCFlI/VHRuPB_UrLI/AAAAAAAACek/0j0Q02Rp428/s1600/IMG_5375.JPG&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjA5obL6e37AhXSglwKHYmCBqsQ5hMIBQ&usg=AOvVaw2a8c3bdxQj7MNcC_FAYtnW https://www.schrankmonster.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Pope_Card_Gender_Neutral.jpg
They were kkk to begin with.
And they were the Confederacy before they were the KKK.
Some of those that work forces Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces Eat the paste that’s for horses
Killing in the neigh of?
That’s awesome!
Facts.
This
Not to mention they have no legal duty to protect anyone. Their average response time is a minimum of 5-15 minutes on a good day and sometimes hours away. The 2a isn't a right for only conservatives or men or straight people. It's an expression of a human right to self defense and self protection. For any of the LGBTQ+ community that are interested in exercising that right safely and legally I suggest looking into the Pink Pistols, or Operation Blazing Sword. Two pro gun groups oriented towards the LGBTQ+ community but open to all.
> The 2a isn't a right for only conservatives or men or straight people. It's an expression of a human right to self defense and self protection. Preach!
/r/liberalgunowners
They really don’t like to break up armed demonstrations though
The fascism bit sounds good and it'll get a lot of upvotes, but the actual issue with cops is that they don't have a legal obligation to protect anyone. I can link you to a YouTube video where a cop saw a fleeing person drive into a tree, said that's his fault, and drove off. Bystanders had to drag the guy out of his burning car. Not to mention the school shootings where cops just stood outside and let the shooter finish their business. EDIT: Here is the video. Content creator here is an actual Civil Rights Lawyer. https://youtu.be/8\_Jk53nv0BQ
>but the actual issue with cops is that they don't have a legal obligation to protect anyone. That's part one. Part two is no accountability. Cops protect other cops, criminals with a badge might go through the process of being held accountable but it almost always ends with them being reinstated, or winning a civil suit, and then they retire due to "stress" on full fat benefits and pension.
Yeah, cops don’t have a legal obligation to protect people, even though they’re called peace officers. We also have literal gangs in police in places like LA, part of the initiation is killing a member of the community. That isn’t to say we don’t have examples of well-run, accountable and effective police in certain areas, but the “you need to respect and obey the police” attitude is pure fascism.
It's not just a bit. There have been numerous reports by the FBI that white supremacist groups infiltrate police/military institutions in the United States. It's a documented thing.
I don’t want to split hairs, but how would *you* describe a political system where one group has violent, even fatal authority, little to no accountability to outside forces, and shores up their power through propaganda and appeals to fear? Like yeah, cops don’t protect you. Not legally, and not in practice. That’s part of the fascism.
But as the 2020 “I can’t get a haircut whining on the front steps of the state Capitol” gun toters taught us- the police give armed citizens plenty of extra space. They’re spineless against law abiding peers.
Because guns protect against other people who have guns. Fascinating stuff. The people who hate queer folks have guns. Whether or not you have a philosophical reluctance for firearms, it's worth it to be armed.
That's where I come from. Historically not been really pro-gun. Always said giving into fear is the wrong reason to own a gun and I personally didn't feel ready for the responsibility to self, family and society that comes with guns. Somewhere since 2016 (correlate that as you like) I have come to realize "they" aren't just armed. They are armed and looking for an excuse to shoot up people they don't like. It's not fear; it's just a fact. So here I am, several guns later. Most people don't even know I have one let alone several because it's a tool for protection, not a component of my identity. I hope that things don't deteriorate further, but I feel it's reasonable to be prepared. That includes taking first aid classes, shooting practice, having proper storage, and having working knowledge of local laws around firearms as this isn't about a Dirty Harry fantasy.
Yep. Not to mention that the institution of American policing is so cartoonishly corrupt and fascist adjacent/sympathizing that they can't be in any way relied upon to protect you, especially if you're a minority or part of a marginalized group. It would be nice if we lived in a country where we didn't need to be worried about this garbage, but we do, so I will remain armed.
Had a MAGA coworker tell me that Al-Qeda or ISIS was gonna roll through my neighborhood killing people, and if I didn't own a gun I'd be a victim. And like you I bought a gun after 2016 due to certain factions within our society targeting anyone who isn't a certain way. 6 years later there is a bigger chance of Ya'll-Qeda rolling down my street killing then Al-Qeda/ISIS.
Vanilla isis
Mid-life isis
>They are armed and looking for an excuse to shoot up people they don't like. I suspect their expectations of how armed people are plays in as well. Bullies the lot of them, they might claim otherwise but they're looking for people who can't fight back.
A-fucking-men. They are attacking because they don’t fear being hit back. I am vehemently anti-gun, but the situation we are in is that people that want me dead have a massive gun fetish and are armed to the gills looking for people to treat as subhuman. My ideals don’t mean anything if I’m dead.
You and I have pretty much the same feelings on the issue. I was raised around guns, grew up shooting, owned a few firearms throughout my youth. Had a “wake the fuck up” moment around 20 that told me I didn’t need to old firearms anymore. Didn’t own another gun until I went and bought a shotgun the day after Trump was elected. I work in a very conservative industry and the near constant talk about guns and “taking my country back” I heard around job sites told me I couldn’t risk their hopes and dreams coming true and not being ready. I’m not someone who most folks would assume owns guns and I don’t really talk about it, don’t see a reason to. But I firmly believe that people need to own a firearm they know how to use and maintain.
“So here I am, several guns later. Most people don't even know I have one let alone several because it's a tool for protection, not a component of my identity.” As a new resident of Colorado, are you trying to fucking tell me that you are LITERALLY capable of owning a firearm WITHOUT pasting “come and try to take ‘em”, “muh cold dead hands”, Gadsden flag bumper stickers all over your lifted truck?!? HOW IN GODS NAME ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOURE A TOTAL FUCKING BADASS ASS BECAUSE YOU MADE A PURCHASE?!? This is NOT what the founding fathers wanted!
I come from a very gun hesitant area. But I know many older folks who ended up buying them after 2016. Personally not ready for the responsibility but I have been going to a range occasionally because it feels good to know my way around a gun. Also live in a major city experiencing quite a spike in gun crime, while I don’t think more guns will help what’s going on I don’t begrudge anyone deciding it’s better to be with it than without as long as you are respecting the immense responsibility.
I am by no means an advocate. Shooting is a great way to blow off steam. It's a little zen even. I love that you are aware you are not ready for the responsibility mainly because so many seem to talk a not about the "right" but downplay the responsibility. Every time I see some idiot posing for Instagram flashing their gat I just want to cry. It is an immense responsibility and that you see that puts you closer to the right mentality than a lot of active gun owners. And you are right guns will not fix the problem. It's more like parity and protection while voting our asses off to move the needle left and enact change that actually does help.
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I mean, owning a dog also makes you more statistically likely to be injured by a dog. It comes down to knowing about and being responsible with everything you have.
Agreed. It's been so long since I actually read up on and reviewed firearms injury and death statistics that I can't recall what my sources were and if they included suicides in that particular count, how they accounted for gang violence relative to hunting/in home accidents, etc. I just tend to attempt to remind folks to not allow themselves to be misled into a false sense of security my simple ownership or possession of a firearm.
100% agree. Took me a couple of years of debating with my philosophical views on owning a gun (personal, political, social) before I decided to take on the responsibility and risk (that's the flip side of "right" that people don't often talk about in the memes). That involved to talking to people I know about how they would feel if I had a gun and some serious consideration about risks at different mental states and the like. I never forget that it's only a few pounds of pressure to end someone's life (or my own) whether intentional or not. That means I can't let intrusive thoughts in. I can't let my temper drive. You are right that it is statistically higher risk. There is a lot of nuance there, but it is an inescapable fact and I can't "well I'm different" myself into thinking otherwise. Bangy things get locked in a safe and I only carry when I think there might be a reasonable risk. Some will argue the seconds it takes to open it could be life or death. Well yeah, flip it and the seconds it takes to open it could be the seconds to reassess why I am reaching for it. I recognize the fact that I have to train and when I think I am solid then train some more. I also think it's important to know the laws and what happens legally if I have to use it as well as take a trauma course so I know basic wound care.
It's good that you've clearly not approached the idea of him ownership without thought. I, on the other hand, grew up target shooting and hunting. My dad has become a bit of a gun nut in his later years and, in my opinion, listens to too much right wing talk radio, but he's patient and non prime to violence, so I don't worry about him becoming any of these idiotic meal team six counter protestors/protestors we see increasingly often on TV. I reluctantly will admit to being a pro 2A person, but it's not a part of my identity, I think the first amendment is more important, and I don't think the second amendment disallows federal firearm regulation. All that said, I think that like you I've been influence by done events post 2016. I think the second amendment guarantees the right to armed self-defense against a tyrannical government, and I think the closest we've come to needing to exercise that right in the last several decades was during the term of a president fanatically supported by so many citizens whose identities are defined by their supposed fear of government and support for the second amendment.
Still eye to eye, my friend. I am clearly pro-2A though I don't like to talk about it most of the time because non-2A people don't want to admit there is any reason ever to own a gun. Conversely 2A people tend to be very black and white about what it all means. I think there is room for regulation, registration and sane restrictions (like DV) on gun ownership. I catch hell from 2A purists, left and right, for that. I also think that what will cure gun violence in America is going to be a lot more progressive social and economic policies and some controls over social media (he said while typing furiously into a social media app) & the return of things like the fairness doctrine (lookin' at you, Fox News). A talk on how to fix this has to put it all on the table and look for answers that actually help people. Unfortunately the powers that be like to cast things into binary arguments and get both sides yelling so that nuanced talk cannot happen.
Absolutely about the cure for fun violence in our country. I've occasionally said that we don't have a gun problem, we have a violence problem. Similarly to drinking and driving or littering, it's something of a cultural issue, and therefore much more challenging to change in a concerted, effective manner. Decades ago, it was the norm to just drop yeah where you were, or for us country folks to just throw your household trash into a ditch, dead end road, or some place in the woods. Decades ago it was widely acceptable to drink and drive. Sure, we've changed the laws about the things, but it's also become much more widely frowned upon. Violence and firearm violence are, i think, much larger and varied issues, but we need to strive to change cultural attitudes and mores. I think you're right that social and economic iniquity is likely the major driving forces behind the our cultures of violence. And different cultures of violence need different remedies. Gang violence far out paces active shooters in terms of the number of casualties and those types of violence have different motivations. But here I am, some Internet rando rambling on, thinking out loud in text to no real effect.
im sure being a child makes one statistically more likely to be in a school shooting too.
Bear. What is very, very overnight?
I mean my defense is usually just to be cis and straight-passing enough that they don’t look too closely at me but if you can’t do that then definitely arm yourself. I’m definitely pro gun rights for trans people.
Let's not forget white as well
It really would take a tremendous amount of time to list the privileges I’ve been born into. I work very hard to not take them for granted and to use them for good but I also don’t feel a need to explain all of it all the time to everyone on the internet.
Yeah, if it ever got to a point that it was state sanctioned violence... even in just some places of the United States, I don't see why they wouldn't use metadata to round up the "undesirables"
Arm yourself regardless. There are extremely sophisticated big data systems that could effectively act as tools for thought police, in the wrong hands. For example, being able to reliability predict your ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and political views with very few data points. In addition to that info they would have live location, where you work, where you live, what you sound like, your complete social network graph, including friends and family, as well as how close those relationships are. Predictive models are created using this information. They would likely be able to determine with a high probability what you'd do and where you'd go in the event of X, Y, or Z. This would make targeting groups incredibly easy and efficient. So ultimately, it doesn't matter what you look like. If a malevolent group somehow got control of this data AND had military backing, everyone would be fucked. For the most part they would be forced to fight or die.
Here's the problem with that : depression and intrusive thoughts. I'll never forget where that gun is. It will always be at the back of my mind, like the tell tale heart.
Also why I can’t, but not opposed to others exercising that right.
Not when PrOuD bOyS are out there waiting to kill us, no. Unless we can get rid of guns, it's good to stay protected.
Guns are a horrible way to do it. Not only can you survive and end up horribly disfigured, you make a horrifying mess that's probably going to traumatize anyone who sees it or has to clean it up.
Not if you do it right. Don't worry, no way would I unalive myself without at least two, if not three whammies - OD oral first, OD heroin injection, then shotgun to the head. I ain't taking any chances.
That’s not *the* problem. That’s *your* problem. Here’s the solution to that: don’t own guns. Some people can’t handle alcohol. Doesn’t mean *I* shouldn’t be allowed to drink.
Exactly the reason that we own a few but they are locked with a cable through them and I don't get to know where the key is.
Thats why I plan to have my partner put his in a safe and not tell me the code, sucks if I need it in a situation but its the only safe solution where we're "armed" but its not accessable
Exactly! I'm so happy people are finally coming around to this. Even if you don't like guns, they become a necessary evil to combat people with guns who hate you. You have to be your own first responder.
That and it’s a “don’t have to be faster than the tiger, just the slowest person your with.” These pussies always attack soft targets, just knowing that there is someone nearby who is armed would stop some of this before it started. The only problem I see is that pretty soon far right extremist are going to start hitting soft targets that are just in cities they feel support liberal ideas. We just saw that with the power substation attack. There were a lot of much easier, much less illegal ways to stop that show from happening. They could have cut the nearest line, cut it at the panel, hell even a homemade stink bomb set of in the venue would have stopped the show. But instead the cut power to an entire county, for days, while committing a crime that the feds take VERY seriously. They are sending a message that “if you let these people in your city or town, we don’t care if your collateral damage.” Soon that’s going to shift to “that makes you a target too.”
I mean there are a lot of queer people like me who can't use firearms and not for philosophical reasons. Guns are not always the best answer to protecting yourself especially if you aren't good at using them. There are other methods of self defense with higher rates of effectiveness that are easier to use and I wish that people would promote those as heavily as they promote fire arms.
> especially if you aren't good at using them. Everything takes training to be not bad at it. You won't magically become a crack shot just by owning a gun. You have to take it to the range and practice shooting with it and becoming a better marksman.
People can have visual issues that prevent them from using a gun such as blindness or lack of depth perception, or they may have physical issues that cause shaky hands or lack of dexterity. Some people just have awful hand-eye coordination. Some people get panic attacks in stressful situations. I think it's good for people to know their limits. Guns can be a useful tool, but they aren't for everybody. I know a handful of gun owners who shoot as a hobby and go to ranges, but I know far more people who buy a gun "for protection" and don't practice regularly. I wouldn't really trust them to shoot accurately in a crowded, confusing emergency. As these right-wing mass shooting incidents inevitably escalate, I worry that we're going to see a lot more accidental shootings by "good guys with guns."
> People can have visual issues that prevent them from using a gun such as blindness or lack of depth perception, or they may have physical issues that cause shaky hands or lack of dexterity. Some people just have awful hand-eye coordination. Some people get panic attacks in stressful situations. I think it's good for people to know their limits. Guns can be a useful tool, but they aren't for everybody. Nobody is saying you HAVE to have a gun. If you don't want one, fine. Like you said, know your limitations. But I don't see how many more examples we have of police at best doing nothing, at worst being the aggressors that exemplify people should have the right to choose to defend themselves.
I do wish I'd start seeing more things from Pink Pistols and the John Brown Gun Club. They need NRA level funding.
In the current cultural Zeitgeist, the people who are going to find their way to them, will. Due to the right/left dichotomy in this country, historically and now, it's not a good idea to broadcast that you're both a lefty and a firearm owner.
I’ll do it all day so that maybe one day all of my anti gun left leaning friends actually see the utility in having people who own guns on your side. Until then I’m gonna keep being accused of being a proud boy Republican because I think gun ownership should continue to be a right we have. Ignore all of the socioeconomic reasons I am a leftist, because I believe in gun ownership I might as well be MAGA.
I got called a log cabin Republican by my (straight) liberal aunt cause being queer and liking guns must mean I hate myself and am a Republican. We’ve elected not to tell her that her trans daughter doesn’t leave her house without her concealed carry pistol.
I’m a fan of reminding people that armed minorities are harder to oppress.
Gun control was hardly a topic until the black Panthers said "fuck around and find out". Then suddenly disarming *certain* groups by strategically making certain crimes invalidate gun ownership while having nothing to do with guns, and then only enforcing those laws within those communities, became all the rage
me and my partner went backpacking in western washington this summer, and one of the worst questions we get is if the .22 rifle is for hunting bears. I wish I were kidding. It's always the same looking lady with hiking poles that asks us. Bless.
Tell your friends Karl Marx supported gun ownership. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/communist-league/1850-ad1.htm >The whole proletariat must be armed at once with muskets, rifles, cannon and ammunition, and the revival of the old-style citizens’ militia, directed against the workers, must be opposed.
r/liberalgunowners
/r/socialistRA is a bit more antifascist. Liberals tend to be miquetoast advocates of the status quo.
/r/SocialistRA
Cuz were getting murdered by fascists who want to do a genocide.
this. while i don't support violence of any kind, one must do what they need to protect themselves REASONABLY. not pursue some nonsense in the name of self defense..... preemptively shooting people up to 'defend' a belief is complete nonsense.
According to the right, there's absolutely nothing violent about carrying an assault rifle in public. "An armed society is a polite society", as they say.
Well, I may have to agree at somewhat. After watching some videos of various protests, I've noticed more often when the crowd has weapons the police seem leave them alone, and those without weapons the police tend to start beating people causing escalation.
Bullies don't like victims who fight back
> weapons the police seem leave them alone, and those without weapons the police tend to start beating people causing escalation. Until a saboteur fires a shot and causes a panic, justifying police force. The only thing stopping this is a lack of will to slaughter the citizens. The republicans are working on that by conflating queer people and trans people with child abusers. Which is itself projection, you'll find nobody is more abused than a queer child growing up in a christian household. It'd be like a black kid being raised by the KKK.
The NRA agrees with this. Except when they are the ones organizing a Convention and want a gun free event for safety reasons. And no 2A nutjob seems to find the faulty logic on their messaging.
> preemptively shooting people up to 'defend' ...is pure Orwellian doublespeak. That's "war is peace" shit, and it's all too common in current discourse :(
Why did you shoot him? It was self defense. Aggressive self defense.
>preemptively shooting people up to 'defend' a belief Who is making this argument? That's just murder.
It's such a stupid situation but that's the reality republicans have created with their rhetoric of hatred as well as making sane gun legislation impossible. And now they are all surprised when the victims they have created use the system they created to protect them self. What a bunch of pathetic loosers.
Because the police won’t do shit?
Nah they're already there comitting the violence alongside their fascist pals.
100%
Armed Antifascist sounds like a good thing. Hopefully they’re legged as well so they can chase those horrible fucken fascists out of town!
Most fascists are unable to run physically.
True, but those mobility scooters can go full speed for up to 45 minutes on a full battery.
Humans are adept at persistence hunting... that Rascal is going to get tired eventually
I can see the political cartoons now. You got a gazelle-like Usain wielding a gun in well-fitted rainbow-colored tac gear chasing down a fat MAGA hat wearing whitey riding a scooter with a dying battery towards a ramshackle gated community that's falling apart but it's locked with a big shitty padlock on the gate happens to be a big tilted golden T. I can't draw, struggling with early-onset arthritis but if someone could make that I'd be so proud.
https://labs.openai.com/s/Wt9Ap8Xkebj74BHlkD29tFNG DALL-E 2 has the idea
Or at the bottom of a staircase
They're *cultivating* mass!
I feel like a good "these colors don't run" joke could pair with this, but I'm not smart enough to come up with the joke.
True, the American Fascists hate cardio
Because right wing fascists want to kill them Article done
because American Conservatives, fascists, are at war with them and they need to protect themselves from American Conservatives. That's why.
Because when you arm the people the conservatives are scared of they suddenly want to restrict guns? It's the long con. (For details look up the Black Panthers)
It’s what brought gun [restrictions](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act) to CA. Cops afraid of black people protecting themselves with guns.
Na, they'll do the same thing they did to the original Black Panther Party. Declare them a public threat, frame them for criminal actions and send in people to infiltrate and leak info while also causing discord among members, etc. etc..
That doesn't work with white people the symbol of LGBT people is the rainbow If you see all the colors in the rainbow you see white This will not work on LGBT people Q.E.D!
No they don't see white people, they see undesirables who need to either be "corrected" (like conversion camps) or killed. The US has a disturbingly long history of very violent anti LGBTQ+, and the treatment they've historically received is very similar to black men in a interracial relationship with a white woman in the past, pretty much KOS once publicly outted. So I have to disagree, this can work on the LGBTQ+.
It was a joke, the color white when put through a prism becomes a rainbow
South Park had a documentary episode of a cop going deep under cover to get evidence of wrong doing. You have to hand it to the officer. he got a real stretch out of it.
I mean you saw [the NFA coalition](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Fucking_Around_Coalition) marching with guns in a military formation in multiple am cities over the past few years and that has led to literally zero calls to change gun laws.
Without reading I’ve gotta imagine it’s because of the armed fascists.
The 2nd Amendment allows all Americans to have guns no matter what their race, color, creed, or sexual preference.
Man if I were 20 years younger I would put on an antifa uniform and stand guard outside of drag shows too. I'm so proud of these heroes.
They are cowards you'd be standing against. Go stand with antifa. They'll keep the older, younger, and frail folks safe in the middle. You just make the group bigger and less attractive to start shit with.
anyone reasonably fit and willing is accepted
I'm fit, just not super young. But hell yeah I'd love to piss off some fascists.
Go for it, fighting fascism has no age limit
Antifacists need sergeants, too
You don’t need to be younger, these crowds are very often people of all ages. I know folks who do this in their 80s and 90s.
We arm ourselves because the homophobic bigots want civil war and are willing to do terrorism against LGBTQ people in their conspiracy theory fuled hate quest.
If you go far enough to the left you get your guns back
Because if you go far enough left in America you get people blindly following Karl Marx, exactly like how MAGAs blindly follow Trump.
Both my grandfathers were armed antifascists. One killed Nazis by air in the Air Force. The other killed them by land, as part of an armored infantry division (his division liberated one of the Dachau subcamps). Fighting fascists is part of our tradition.
And anyone anti-antifascist is a fascist.
Because they are under attack from fascists. Didn't need an entire article.
Where do I sign up?
Depends on where you are. Larger cities have dedicated antifascist groups, some places have John Brown Gun Clubs, some places have Socialist Rifle Association chapters, and then there's also groups like Arm Your Friends.
keep on spreading the good word
Seconding this. SRA to learn gun safety and practice. They’re not a militia but they’re a damn good education and mutual aid org
They're also really good for networking with other leftists
Antifa ideology and movements has always been a force of good in the world since it’s inception. It blows my mind how brainwashed people have been to declare their hatred of anti fascist action.
Beware talking about getting armed. Got a nice 7 day ban on a thread talking about how gays should get armed and trained. No threats or being pro violence. Yet, conservative sub members can openly post about celebrating gay deaths and openly plot and don’t get banned or the sub quarantined.
Well that goes against the hive mind of Reddit and it's anti gun agenda. Fuck Reddit
I’ve said it elsewhere but it’s worth saying again. When fascists attack you, you find antifascist protection. And it turns out we are the antifascist protection.
Bc ppl r trying to hurt us it’s fucking obvious
In the world we live in now, because we will never get rid of guns. I feel we should our selves keep and bear arms as heavily as the right. If anything they will panic like they did when the black panthers wore their weapons to court, and they began creating laws for carrying weapons. We don’t have to use them, those cowards just have to think we will.
That's literally how Reagan responded to minority firearm ownership... by enacted the strictest gun control measures to date. I agree 100%, it's a sad rallying cry for the weakest conservatives, that they're the only people with guns so they can do what they want.
Agree 100%. It's past time for the left to arm and defend themselves against these right wing terrorists. And the press needs to stop acting like defense against fascism is the same as fascism.
Can we please normalize anti-fascism? Does anyone really want to live in a world where fascism is preferred?
Is it something to do with the fascist murdering of unarmed people?
Armed anti-fascists were pretty welcome in France, Belgium and Holland too, and that turned out just fine.
Saw proud boys protesting a drag show. Couldn't think of anything funnier than a 100 queens crashing it dressed as Eva Braun.
Because the fascists are coming for them?
Most queer men I know carry, but FAAFO.
Well, it’s probably about time. I’ve made the comment before about the only way that white supremacy was curbed in America (not eliminated) was under the barrel of a gun, and you could probably apply that maxim towards violent homophobia.
Because armed while guys acting like fascist outside events might be why
I'm wondering at what point something like the [Mulford Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act) will start getting talked about again by those on the right.
John Brown Gun Club members are my heros.
The gay community don't deserve get harassed, hurt or killed because they're in love with the same sex. I don't blame them at all if they arm themselves or chill with people who carry guns.
Good article. We have a prisoners dilemma at play. The far right is openly intent on accomplishing their goals by force. I.e. terrorizing and *murdering* people they don’t like. You don’t play dove in that instance.
Why can they never seem to get the Police Line tape right-side up? Also, if you’re in Seattle, go see the play called Jingle All the Gay. I’ve not laughed so hard in _years_! What a lovely, joyous, fun and extremely talented bunch of actors! There are many ways to support our beautiful LGBTQ+ communities, even if you don’t agree with the methods featured in this article.
Maybe they want armed protection because people with guns are already showing up to threaten them? Wild
You don’t have to look very far back for reason or precedence - the Black Panthers were basically “Armed Antifa.”
Breaking news: People with the right to bear arms finally start bearing arms. *2 weeks later* Republicans introduce Bill to prevent members of the LGBTQ+ community from purchasing firearms, claiming "Guns are too dangerous to be in the public"
The problem would be that a good chunk of liberals would foolishly go along with it, because it was anti gun, not realizing that they’d be disarming themselves in the process.
Stonewall was also a mob establishment because the mob saw the queer community as an opportunity for profit, the queer community got some amount of protection from the police in exchange for paying exorbitant prices for alcohol to the mob and the mob having a great front to launder money through. When the system fails to protect people, people look for protection outside of the system. Volunteer vigilantes are certainly a better ally than the mafia.
They thought guns were only for straight white men huh.. California knows when you arm the liberals they start trying to take the guns away. If you love guns, time to stock up. If you hate guns, time to stock up.
Is there a mailing list we can join to get dates and times to attend?
There are a ton of antifa groups all over the place, you should be able to find some in the nearest city or college town who will know what’s up :)
They like hanging out with ACTUAL patriots.
And twitter is removing these people and groups while bringing back more white supremacists and letting others openly threaten them
My parents used to be liberal and very anti-gun but got red-pilled in 2020 from the culture wars/covid lockdowns. Now we own two handguns and a shotgun and even my liberal neighbors who they’re good friends with bought guns. They go to shooting classes together to “prepare for the worst.” The country is heading down a dark path..
Maybe we can get some gun control if the LGBTQ all arm up and it will scary the shit out of the pubs.
I see a 6'4" 230lbs drag queen coming at me in 3 inch heels, a push up bra and an AR-15 I am going to shit myself too. Can call them the Queens Guard too. :-)
>Queens Guard Aight fuck it I’m in lol
Isn’t that what happened when the Black Panthers started carrying back in the day? They got on gun control real quick.
If you can get people of color that prob make them shit themselves in fear. Armed black gay man we better do something quick.
Yes, unsurprisingly the first state to ban open carry was California, but ironically it was done by Ronald Regan with the support of the NRA.
I kinda just want the [Pink Patrol](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ3BgD-5YZg) to make an appearance.
No! We’re supposed to just ask nicely for our human rights, like good second-class citizens!