THE PINK PISTOLS

(Powell, OH) To provide self protection from hate-motivated assaults, a group of homosexuals has formed a national organization to promote arming gay communities. Founded three years ago by Bostonian Douglas Krick, the Pink Pistols adopted the slogan "Armed gays don't get bashed" and have grown to 38 chapters in 28 states with several thousand members.

Jonathan Rauch of the Independent Gay Forum coined the term "Pink Pistols" in a column he wrote in 2000 for Salon magazine, urging the gay community to arm and organize gun-training programs for self-protection. "Homosexuals have been too vulnerable for too long. . . . Playing the victim card has won us sympathy, but at the cost of respect. So let's make gay-bashing dangerous," he wrote.

Krick says he deliberately chose Rauch's designation for the group to deflate the limp-wristed stereotype associated with gays and the color.

The Central Ohio Pink Pistols (e-mail: ohio@pinkpistols.org) meet at the Powder Room Gun Shop in Powell, a few miles north of Columbus.

However, not everyone in the homosexual community is supportive of the Pink Pistols. Robin Richmond, president of the Cleveland chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, has stated that the risk of gay-bashing doesn't justify an armed response and:

"There are people who are concerned about being ostracized or getting grief [for being gay], but their concern about violence is not at a level where it would make sense to start carrying a gun," he added.

Clarence Patton of the NCAVP said that "as an antiviolence organization, we would never endorse people actually picking up arms under the notion of defense.' "

He believed a more probable outcome of arming gays would be an increase in accidental injury or death from firearms.

Since the Pink Pistols advocate gun ownership and strongly support efforts to establish a law allowing Ohio residents to carry concealed weapons, a rift has resulted in the homosexual ranks. In fact, they receive more negative response from the homosexual leadership for being pro-gun than from pro-gunners for being homosexual.

It will be interesting to see how the controversy plays out.