and widgets about the pink pistols find a local chapter pink pistols utility manual faq continuous work in progress lgbt friendly firearms trainers pink pistols forum about the pink pistols find a local chapter pink pistols utility manual faq continuous work in progress lgbt friendly firearms trainers pink pistols forum search for recent posts becoming a member or offering training starting a chapter pink pistols saddened by attack on orlando club pink pistols pleased with court decision re grace v. dc pink pistols denounces wdbj shooting recent commentsarchives june 2016 may 2016 august 2015 january 2015 categories press releases uncategorized meta log in entries rss comments rss wordpress.org becoming a member or offering training it s easy to become a member of the pink pistols first it doesn t cost anything . there s no dues and no membership form to fill out . second you just have to believe in the basic core principles of the pink pistols that all people have the right to defend themselves from harm and that everyone has the individual right to keep and bear arms as protected by the second amendment . if you believe those things just raise your right hand and say i am a pink pistol that s all there is to it if you want to get together with other people to socialize to practice or to train check the find a local chapter page to locate a group in your area . if there isn t one consider starting one all members should download and read the pink pistols utility manual . it has lots of background on the organization and if you want to start a chapter the instructions are in it . we have a public facebook page for staying in touch with members worldwide . it is currently announce only . we offer a full featured forum for discussion . you don t have to join either or join a chapter if you don t want to but this way you can find out what s going on . if you are an instructor looking to offer your services to pink pistols members we are compiling a comprehensive interactive map . please add your voice via operation blazing sword . posted on june 17 2016august 1 2016categories uncategorized starting a chapter the response has been massive in the wake of the tragedy in orlando . we have had many requests for information on how to start a chapter . if you are interested in starting a chapter the first thing to do is go to the find a local chapter option on our website and see if there is one in or near your area . if there is one the link on the page will put you in touch with them . if there s one some distance away but it s within driving distance consider joining forces with them . if there isn t one in your area or one is listed as out of touch or closed then download and read the pink pistols utility manual . it has all of the information necessary to start a chapter . follow the instructions given in the manual . if you still have questions please ask . the utility manual is a useful resource for all pink pistols whether starting a chapter or not . posted on june 17 2016june 17 2016categories uncategorizedtags chapter reopening starting pink pistols saddened by attack on orlando club for immediate release philadelphia pa june 12 2016 early sunday around 2am eastern time the pulse nightclub in orlando was attacked by an armed individual . approximately 20 persons were killed and over double that wounded when the attacker whom police have identified as omar mateen a 29 year old from fort pierce fl pushed his way into the club and opened fire on patrons . weapons carried by mateen are reported as an assault type rifle a handgun and a suspected explosive device . update reports are that the death toll is around 50 with over 50 more wounded . it appears he was organized and well prepared said orlando police chief john mina at a news conference on sunday . additionally orange county sheriff jerry demings said this is an incident that we certainly classify as a domestic terror incident . authorities say the fbi is involved . preliminary information reveals that omar mateen s family is from afghanistan though omar may have been born in the united states . his family is reported to be distraught at the actions and loss of their son . gwendolyn patton first speaker of the pink pistols an international glbt self defense organization warns people not to jump immediately to the assailant s guns as the object of blame but to concentrate instead on mateen s violent acts . the pink pistols gives condolences to all family and friends of those killed and injured at pulse began patton . this is exactly the kind of heinous act that justifies our existence . at such a time of tragedy let us not reach for the low hanging fruit of blaming the killer s guns . let us stay focused on the fact that someone hated gay people so much they were ready to kill or injure so many . a human being did this . the human being s tools are unimportant when compared to the bleakness of that person s soul . i say again guns did not do this . a human being did this a dead human being . our job now is not to demonize the man s tools but to condemn his acts and work to prevent such acts in the future . patton s concerns are that knee jerk gun control efforts may make preventing future events harder rather than easier as only the law abiding potential victims will be affected by such laws . it is difficult if not impossible to foresee such an event continues patton but if they can not be prevented then they must be stopped as fast as someone tries to start them . some bars and other establishments that serve alcohol are difficult to protect because many states forbid the carrying of weapons where alcohol is served but that just as one might have a designated driver who stays sober one might have a designated carrier with a concealed carry permit who goes armed and does not drink . it s sad that we must consider such things but when there are persons out there who mean us harm we must find ways to protect ourselves within the law . patton concludes . the pink pistols is an international organization dedicated to the legal safe and responsible use of firearms for self defense of the sexual minority community . chapters may be found across the united states and canada . though the pink pistols is for the glbtq community it is not solely composed of the glbtq community and all are welcome to join . contact gwendolyn s. patton first speaker pink pistols international firstspeaker pinkpistols.org http www.pinkpistols.org ph 610 879 2364 posted on june 12 2016june 14 2016categories press releases uncategorizedtags domestic terrorism omar mateen orlando pulse nightclub pink pistols pleased with court decision re grace v. dc for immediate release philadelphia pa may 17 2016 the district court of washington dc filed a response today granting the request by matthew grace and the pink pistols for a preliminary injunction preventing the city of washington dc from enforcing the good reason clause in their concealed carry law . this clause left it to law enforcement and other government officials to decide who had a sufficient reason to exercise an enumerated right under the second amendment of the u. s. constitution . this clause was a travesty of justice from its inception said gwendolyn patton first speaker of the pink pistols . it left the free exercise of an inherent human right up to bureaucrats and police officials . if your reason to carry a gun was deemed insufficient if by their measure your reason to carry a gun wasn t good enough they could deny you that right with the stroke of a pen and the thump of a rubber stamp . this continued patton was unacceptable to us . the good reason clause is a common tool under so called may issue concealed carry laws allowing the local government to deny a concealed carry permit except under what they consider to be circumstances of special need . typically this consisted of persons who were required by their job to carry large sums of cash or objects of extreme value or to transport same through dangerous neighborhoods . it was also typically used to prevent persons from acquiring a permit to exercise their natural right of self defense . the pink pistols maintain that since perceived sexual orientation is the second most common source of animus in bias motivated crimes fbi crime statistics https www.fbi.gov news stories 2015 november latest hate crime statistics available . this common animus they further maintain constitutes a clear and present danger to the sexual minority community that predicates just cause to carry a firearm for self defense . further they maintain that nowhere in the second amendment is the concept of good reason enumerated and a requirement to show such special need is fundamentally unconstitutional . today the district court agreed . we clearly showed that our concerns have sufficient merit to justify this preliminary injunction patton continued . we thank the court for its probity in this matter and shall continue to move forward to safeguard the natural rights of our members and the public to exercise their rights . the pink pistols is an international organization dedicated to the legal safe and responsible use of firearms for self defense of the sexual minority community . chapters may be found across the united states and canada . though the pink pistols is for the glbtq community it is not solely composed of the glbtq community and all are welcome to join . contact gwendolyn s. patton first speaker pink pistols international firstspeaker pinkpistols.org http www.pinkpistols.org ph 610 879 2364 posted on may 17 2016june 14 2016categories press releases pink pistols denounces wdbj shooting for immediate release pink pistols denounces wdbj shooting philadelphia pa wednesday august 26 2015 the pink pistols the world s largest glbt self defense organization expresses deep sorrow for the events in moneta virginia . i deplore the actions of vester lee flanagan aka bryce williams said gwendolyn patton first speaker of the pink pistols . flanagan wrote in a so called manifesto sent to abc news that he was attacked for being a black gay man . his pain at being allegedly rejected for his orientation in no way excuses an unprovoked attack against persons who presented him no threat . if mr. flanagan at any time professed an association with the pink pistols we denounce it . we do not know him and reject his acts as those of a base criminal . the pink pistols stands for lawful self defense of the sexual minority community . he is not one of ours . to the best of their knowledge vester flanagan has never communicated with the organization and even though pink pistols members self identify and do not need to submit a membership form or application the act he allegedly committed is a tacit statement that he does not hold with the organization s precepts of lawful behavior responsibility and building of bridges between all people . the only time a pink pistol would draw a weapon is when there is an immediate threat reasonably perceived as deadly says patton . this man supposedly felt so outraged by perceived racism and mistreatment he killed two people and injured one other persons who offered him no physical threat of any kind . this is not how we