Armed gays don’t get bashed. Which is why it boggles the mind that so many LGBT people are opposed to gun rights and vote for anti-Second Amendment politicians.
I don’t understand why the LGBTQ community is so hostile toward the Second Amendment. I’d like to ask my fellow gays to take a moment and consider this issue through a different lens. I long for the day when the gay community will galvanize its significant political might and work toward making practical changes that would let gays better protect themselves when laws don’t.
It isn’t news that gay men and lesbians are frequently the victims of hate crimes. In D.C., crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias increased by 50 percent between 2016 and 2018, from 40 incidents to 61, according to statistics from the D.C. police. Nationwide, hate crimes targeting people because of their sexual orientation rose 5 percent between 2016 and 2017, from 1,076 incidents to 1,130, according to statistics from the FBI.
If we in the gay community know we are frequent targets, why do we overwhelmingly oppose laws that protect our right to defend ourselves? Why do I find myself, at party after party, defending my decision to work for the NRA? Why does my wanting to own a firearm make some gay people I meet accuse me of being self-hating? Why is a community that prides itself on inclusion and tolerance so intolerant toward the Second Amendment, the NRA and those who believe in the right to self-defense?
– William McLaughlin in I wish the gay community were more accepting of gun supporters. I should know.