Who We Are & What We Do

Pink Pistols Asheville is a community run organization focused on safe, legal, and responsible firearm ownership for self defense. Access to these resources is not given equally to the queer community. Together we educate one another, practice together, and build a safe community open to all shooters.

Why?

LGBTQ people face threats to their safety where safe, legal, and responsible firearm ownership could a protective measure
Access to firearm education is often more difficult and intimidating for those in the queer community to obtain.
Members within our community and our allies have acquired skill teaching about firearms and want a place to share that skill with others.
Queer people in our community who already own guns want a space to practice together to gain friendships and skill.
Many regular patrons of gun spaces are unaccustomed to seeing LGBTQ people. Our presence and competence in those spaces acts as outreach.

How?

We hold monthly educational meetings, sharing knowledge about a specific topic to the community.
Twice a month Pink Pistols Asheville hosts community range days. Experienced shooters bring weapons and knowledge to share with everyone present.
The organization vets local gun education resources, ensuring they are safe, inclusive, and appropriate.
Organizing private education exclusive to our organization, such as a concealed carry course just for our members.
We create a supportive and collaborative community where folks answer questions and help one another. For example, accompanying someone to a gun store for the first time.

Values

Inclusivity - We believe that someone's sexual orientation should not exclude them from the right to defend themselves.

Accessibility - We aim to break down barriers in gun ownership. Be these physical or financial.

Education - We want to spread knowledge on self defense that is legal, safe, and responsible

Support - For people who are feeling scared and intimidated, we aim to build a space that makes them feel embraced and confident

Community - We want to build community: a space for folks to explore guns together as a hobby, to become a student and a teacher, and to feel more connected.

Pink Pistols Asheville is a single issue organization

Sometimes folks from other organizations in Asheville reach out to us to build a coalition on other issues or to organize behind causes that are not second amendment related.

We decline those invitations. Not because individual members don't care deeply about many social issues, but because we believe that organizations can achieve their goals better and keep better cohesion if they are focused on only one mission.

If you are curious about this, or anything else explained here, we encourage everyone to check out the Pink Pistols Utility Manual on the national website.