Gaystarnews
An LGBT pro-guns group in the US claim membership has more than doubled following the Orlando shooting in June.
They said after the attack the group was ‘flooded’ with requests for more information.
The Utah chapter president Matt Sclentz says membership has jumped from 1,500 to 4,000 since the shootings.
He told the Salt Lake Tribune: It’s really sad that something on this scale had to happen for people to realize this is a need for our community.
‘But the reality is we still get attacked for kissing our partners or holding hands in public… We get windows smashed for having an equality sticker on them.’
Obviously, as a gay man, I have to have some liberal views socially,’ he said. ‘But on this one point, I have very conservative views.’
Matt Schlentz on his Facebook profile
Matt Schlentz on his Facebook profile
The Salt Lake Tribune noted Scenltz has semi-automatic rifles similar to that used by Omar Mateen, in the massacre that killed 49 people.
Pink Pistols argues LBGTI people would be safer if they equipped themselves with guns to defend against hate crimes.
The group was founded in 2000 in response to shootings, including the infamous murder of gay man Matthew Shepard, in 1998.
They had the slogan: ‘Pick on someone your own caliber’.
The group’s president said gay club employees should have defensive shooting course once a year, and always be armed.
Scott Mogilefsky said: ‘As awful as Orlando is, I feel like this is a huge eye-opener for a lot of people that the world is not a perfect place, especially for a group that’s at risk for this kind of violence.’ – Read more at: http://scl.io/Bwn7dFfK#gs.juwfnvU