2016
Connecting LGBTQ people who wish to learn how to use firearms for self-defense with LGBTQ-friendly volunteer instructors.
- June 13, 2016 founded by Erin Palette
- https://www.facebook.com/OperationBlazingSword/
About Operation Blazing Sword
Operation Blazing Sword (OBS) is a volunteer network that connects LGBTQ people who want to learn firearm safety and self-defense with instructors who have pledged to teach them in a welcoming environment. Erin Palette launched it on June 13, 2016, the Monday after the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, starting with a simple map of friendly instructors. The project grew fast: it registered as a Florida nonprofit by August 2016, received IRS 501(c)(3) status in November 2016, and by December 2017 listed more than 1,500 volunteer instructors in nearly 1,000 locations across all 50 states, plus trainers in Canada, Australia and Europe.
On September 23, 2018, at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Chicago, OBS announced it was joining forces with the Pink Pistols, with Palette becoming leader of both groups. In 2023 the organization reported 1,560 volunteer firearm educators in every state and noted it had filed amicus briefs in Second Amendment cases, including New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. For gun owners, OBS is a practical example of the movement’s outreach: it lowers the barrier to safe, competent firearm ownership for people who may never have been approached by traditional shooting organizations.
Key Facts
- June 13, 2016: Founded by Erin Palette after the Pulse nightclub attack
- August 2016: Registered as a nonprofit with the State of Florida
- November 2016: Granted 501(c)(3) charity status by the IRS
- December 2017: More than 1,500 volunteer instructors in all 50 states
- September 23, 2018: Announces merger with the Pink Pistols at GRPC 2018
- June 2023: Reports 1,560 volunteer firearm educators nationwide
Learn More
Sources
- Who We Are – Operation Blazing Sword
- Pink Pistols and Operation Blazing Sword Merger – Operation Blazing Sword
- State of the Sword 2023 – Operation Blazing Sword
- Pink Pistols – Wikipedia
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