Gun Control, Gun Rights & The LGBT Community
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Update- We have secured two speakers for this salon.
Nicki Stallard is a coordinator with the San Jose Chapter of the Pink Pistols.
Chris Cheng is a gun rights advocate who appeared on the History Channel TV show "Top Shot" a few years ago.
In anticipation of more attendees being on the gun control side of this debate, we thought that hearing speakers on the gun rights side would be illuminating. The speakers will be making a few remarks before we break out into our regular small discussion groups.
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Orlando. On June 12, 2016, a deranged individual entered Pulse dance club and killed 49 people and injured another 53 with semi-automatic assault weapons. It was a typical Saturday night at a gay club where hundreds were out having fun with their friends.
It was Latin night at the kind of club that many of us have been to and is a normal part of the gay community. It could have been Bench and Bar, Club Papi or The Cafe.
Where were you when you heard about the news? What were your reactions?
The entire nation was plunged into shock and mourning. The shooting gave the LGBT community the dubious distinction of being a target in the parade of mass shootings that have become alarmingly and increasingly familiar in recent years.
There were questions of what ties the shooter had with Islamic terrorist groups and ideology, if any. There were accounts by other individuals that the shooter had frequented Pulse nightclub before and had been on gay apps such as Grindr or Jack'd. Many have speculated the shooter himself might be a closeted gay person. (At the time of this writing, however, the FBI has stated that they have found no evidence that the shooter was gay or that he's ever been on gay apps).
Certainly, the issue of gun rights and gun control has resurfaced, but this time, with many LGBT individuals and groups coming forth to speak on this issue. George Takei stated that Orlando has awakened a sleeping giant and henceforth the LGBT community will be on the forefront of fighting for gun control. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/14/takei-how-the-lgbt-community-can-lead-america-to-a-sane-gun-policy.html
In separate statements, the Human Rights Campaign and 50 other LGBT organizations have called for stricter gun control measures. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/human-rights-campaign-gun-control-224486 In NYC, a group called "Gays Against Guns" or "GAG" formed and over 750 of them marched in the NYC Pride Parade. http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/7/01/gays-against-guns-here-queer-and-taking-action
At the same time, "Pink Pistols" which is a group that advocates for the defense of gay and lesbians through the exercise of 2nd amendment rights, experienced a spike in membership from 1,500 to 4,500 in the days after the Orlando attack. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/lgbt-gun-rights-group-sees-membership-spike-after-orlando-shooting-n594701
In this salon, we'd like to discuss this new evolution of gun rights, gun control and its intersection with the LGBT community. Will the LGBT community become an advocate for gun control as Takei predicts? Will some in our community turn to arming themselves? In short, has the gun issue become an LGBT issue?
Note- Tentatively, we are planning to have speaker(s) at this event.
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Gun Control, Gun Rights & The LGBT Community