Frequently Asked Questions
What are the “Pink Pistols”?
We are a shooting group that honors diversity and is open to all shooters. We help bring new shooters into the practice and provide a fun social environment for all our members. We work to build bridges between the shooting community and other communities, such as those based on alternative sexualities. We advocate the use of lawfully-owned, lawfully-concealed firearms for the self-defense of the sexual minority community.
We teach queers to shoot. Then we teach others that we have done so. Armed queers don’t get bashed. We change the public perception of the sexual minorities, such that those who have in the past perceived them as safe targets for violence and hateful acts — beatings, assaults, rapes, murders — will realize that that now, a segment of the sexual minority population is now armed and effective with those arms. Those arms are also concealed, so they do not know which ones are safe to attack, and which are not…which they can harm as they have in the past, and which may draw a weapon and fight back.
The Pink Pistols are the ones who have decided to no longer be safe targets. They have teeth. They will use them.
Do I need to be queer to join?
You don’t have to be queer to join us, any more than you have to be Black to support civil rights, or be Jewish to support the JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership). We include members from the LGBT+, Polyamarous, and BDSM communities, but you don’t need to be gay or have an alternative sexuality to join and shoot with us. We like to say that we are FOR the sexual minority community, but not exclusively OF it. We welcome anybody.
Do I need to know how to shoot, or have my own equipment?
No, we want to make the practice accessible and are friendly to new shooters. We can give you basic instruction, and you can either rent guns and ammunition at some ranges, or chapter members will bring extra for you. Of course, this is subject to local laws — some states or municipalities may restrict loaning of weapons, but we will do our best.
Do I need a permit to participate?
In Maine you do not need a permit to shoot most firearms.
How do I know what’s going on with the “Pink Pistols”?
There are several places you can get information. This website will have event announcements, and we will expand it over time to include more information as we learn what is useful to the chapter and the members at large. You can also join our Facebook group and/or Discord server here.
Can I purchase a pistol or other firearm?
In most cases, sure… but there are caveats. In broad terms, if you are not what the government terms a “prohibited person” — a felon, a drug addict, a habitual drunkard, someone found to be mentally incompetent/dangerous, or were committed to a mental hospital by a court — you most likely will be allowed to do so for most firearms. You show a drivers’ license, fill out a form, they run a Federal instant-check on you, and if you come back clean, you buy your gun.
In Maine specifically there is currently a 72-hour hold on firearms purchases. That means that after the background check clears and you make your purchase, you have to wait 72 hours until you can take home the firearm(s) you purchased.
What kind of gun is right for me?
Only you can say for sure, but anyone who has any clue about firearms will tell you to start by renting or borrowing (if legal in your area) a firearm from someone else attending the range with you. Rent several and try different makes and models of firearm with varying calibers. Most important, start with a light caliber. For a first time shooter, the muzzle flip and recoil can be a bit of a surprise. There is no shame in building up to something you’re sure you can tolerate. Besides, the primary concern here is safety. Biting off more than you can chew with a firearm can be very dangerous. If you need help in finding what’s right for you there will be people there to help.
I’ve never touched a gun before. How will I know how to shoot it?
Ask. Please don’t feel embarrassed that you might be asking a “stupid” or “lame” question. There’s no such thing. Ask the others in your chapter. If you’ve never fired a weapon before, please let us know in advance. It’s better to learn the right way to load, unload, and fire a weapon, than to learn the hard way.
If you’re not with an established chapter — say, you’re starting a chapter and you’re doing this on your own, you should ask the people at the local gun store where you would buy your gun if they have training available. If they do, get as much as you can possibly afford. But best case, you should have a chapter to help you.
Why is your group an “Activist’s Association”?
We want to be able to endorse candidates (we’ve done that in the past, though we aren’t doing that right now) that will support the Second Amendment as well as the rights of consenting adults to love each other how they wish however they wish. We also chose to go this route, rather than filing as a PAC because it means we are free of the legal paperwork PAC’s are required to file.
Are you part of the NRA?
No. Although we do work with the NRA. For example, in California the NRA-ILA contacted us and asked us to take a look at some legislation before the State Assembly and submit written testimony with our take on the bills. We also worked with the NRA when we submitted our amicus brief on the D.C. v Heller case before the Supreme Court. On the other hand, many of our members dislike the NRA due to the positions they have taken, such as helping push through “Instant Background Checks” on a federal level. But as to whether we are an “associate” group of the NRA, no, we are not. We can’t be, because we do not have an elected Board of Directors and other necessary structural elements the NRA requires for associated groups.
Are you associated with a political party?
No. We are strictly non-partisan. If the responses to our questionnaires looks slanted, it is because only some people who receive the questionnaire respond. For example, each time when copies were emailed to everyone elected to the Massachusetts State House and Senate, only 1 politician responded.
I like this idea, but I’m not in the area. How do I start a local group?
Contact Erin Palette at erin@blazingsword.org for more information. We have rewritten the “New Chapter E-Book”, and renamed it the Pink Pistols Utility Manual. It is highly recommended that individuals find a couple of friends to assist them before they start the process of opening a chapter. Due to problems in the past with viability, we no longer open chapters with a single founding member. Please have at least two or more before asking to open your chapter.
Also, please note: You do not have to be a citizen or resident of the United States to start a chapter. If you live elsewhere, you are still welcome to form a chapter. We just require that you follow all applicable laws in your jurisdiction.