LexPRIDE June 28th.

[DrakeZ07]

If anyone is there, and see's me passing out OC cards and paper sheets with 2A, and gay friendly groups as well as KRS on them, or see's a somewhat gay looking OC'er, then stop and say Hi, or bring me a cold Daiquiri with extra 'juice'!




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[self preservation]

Well, how did it go Drake? Let us know how OC was tolerated in Lex.

Last Saturday night, June 21, my wife and I were in downtown Louisville. It was a very nice evening and we were walking down Main St. There was music coming from the Belvedere, on the riverfront. It was the Gay Pride Fest. We decided to go in to see how it was going and enjoy the music. I was OC, and didn't know how we would be received, but we had no problems. I honestly don't think anyone noticed. That's not unusual and it was dusk. There were hundreds of people there; gays, straights, couples, groups and singles. The music was great. What really got to me was, here are all these people exercising their rights and celebrating a lifestyle that just a few years ago would have been cause for ridicule, hate, abuse and, maybe, violence. How did this change happen? The answer was right there in front of me. They can turn out a huge crowd to demand their rights and show support for liberty. We, on the other hand, can not put together 10 people to eat a meal together. They can speak to the government and the media about the abuses of their rights and in the process, gain support for their cause. Our favored right is enumerated in the constitution, their's is not. Our favorite right has long standing legislation and case law backing it up, their's does not. If we could generate one tenth of the energy and passion that they have and do one tenth of the work that they have done, we could have the same successes. They have worked for their convictions. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders have worked together and won, mostly. They have earned it. All we can do is argue about OC vs. CC, self defense vs. hunting, long guns vs. handguns, revolvers vs. semi autos, semi vs. full auto or steel frame vs. polymer frame. We are our own worst enemy. They have advanced their issue in the face of horrible ignorance and bigotry. We are just barely holding our ground. They are organized and we are lazy. They value their rights and we do not. We need to get working and get together. This proves it can be done. It is just that we are not doing it. This change would have not happened on its own. They have endured much worse treatment that we have and prevailed. They should be congratulated and emulated.

+1. It doesn't matter if a person agrees or disagrees with any certain movement, the fact remains that all movements that find success succeed for a reason. Legislation rarely drives change. But change seems to often drive legislation.

 

[DrakeZ07]

I'm sorry that I didn't give a reply until now, been busy lately.

Pridefest when well, I OC'd with no problems, and ran out of my two stacks of 100 fliers within an hour. Had more conversations about OC and guns in general than I could remember, and compared guns and had gun-talk with several ... attractive twinks, hehe. One such cutie was wearing a full-body fishnet with a very tight thong that had me panting the entire time that we talked about our EDC. He pulled out a small 4-rnd .380 semi from his fanny pack, and we talked about his obsession with small rugers, and my obsession with large-frame hi-points, and other inexpensive models.

Had two contacts with police, but, umm... they was less about my gun, and more about my ... well, that's neither here nor there. Pride was fun, and it was 'fun' if you catch my drift, suffice it to say, I've found out that [at least those two] cops can do more than what's in their job descriptions, and they can do it well!

I'm glad you had a good day/evening in L-ville Gutshot, and I agree with you fully. I am guilty of doing much the same that contributes to the in-fighting within the OC, and gun-owner community at-large. I've put more effort, and time into LGBT rights/actions, than I've every thought about putting into OC/2A movements/actions; I think for me personally, it's complacency. I have a secured right to own, and carry firearms at-will, so I don't think, or have any sub-conscious will to do much of anything in the form of protesting, or communal work in the name of gun rights; However, I don't have the secured right to marry a same-sex lover, I don't have a secured right to be free from discrimination in a hospital, or work-place, due to my sexuality, and I don't have a secured right to live as an openly gay man in a southern bible-belt state without the fear of being harassed, or the subject of violence, because of my sexuality and/or lifestyle. So naturally, I'll put much more effort and money, into securing those things that I don't already have.

The Gun community, despite it's ... opposition, for the most part by its majority members, could learn a great deal from the Gay Community, and movements/causes. Heck, nearly every LGBT, and LGBT-Friendly community, cause, and movement in and of itself alongside, or separate from the LGBT rights movement, has a wealth of experience, and knowledge that the gun community could glean from and use for its own ends. Ever met someone who was/is apart of the active BDSM community? Think the gun community has it bad? the BDSM people have it worse, because they live their lives and sex-lives at-odds with moralist and Politically Correct laws on the books.