Armed Queers is a leftist organization founded in 2020. Its creation was due to concern over a lack of anti-fascist organizing in Salt Lake and beyond. This LGBTQ+ organization has been devoted to the defense and success of oppressed movements ever since. 

The group supports SLC Pride without Police as well as numerous protests promoting Palestinian liberation and trans rights. They act as additional protesters and speakers as well as defense and security for groups of marginalized people.

Armed Queers empowers these at-risk groups to take to the streets and stand up for their rights while feeling safe. Their presence on the University of Utah campus is imperative to the future of protesting. 

Disruptive Protest

Ermiya Fanaeian is a student at the U and works as an organizer with Armed Queers. Fanaeian believes in effective protest as a disruption rather than a compliant demonstration. 

“We have seen many great examples of peaceful protest, throughout history,” she said. “And it’s not to discredit any of that. But I think in order for us to pose a threat to power … there needs to be some form of disruption.”  

An example of an effective disruptive protest is blocking traffic. Armed Queers participated in this form of disruptive protest along with hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters on March 2.

“There needs to be some semblance of mass movement building that poses a threat to the current status quo,” Fanaeian said. 

Defender of the People, not the State  

Fanaeian also discussed the Armed Queers’ role as defenders. She said Armed Queers is not an alternative to police but a different thing entirely.  

“Armed queers are there to protect our people and the police are there to protect the state,” she said. “We’re not an alternative to police.”  

In the past, police have not prioritized the safety of protesters in their responses. On campus, six members of student group Mecha were charged by campus police with class B misdemeanors after staging a pro-LGBTQ+ sit-in. Protesting is a constitutional right.

“Police on campus are essentially a more localized system of police broadly,” Fanaeian said. “Of course, we’ve seen the police on the U campus have major failures … the U police in our eyes is no different than the oppressive police that work for the state of Utah.” 

The Question of Gun Control  

Armed Queers is vehemently leftist, socialist and LGBTQ+. However, they often receive criticism from other left-leaning people due to their controversial pro-gun stance which goes against the grain of most liberal rhetoric.

Gun ownership has a heavy association with the conservative side of the U.S. political spectrum. Critics often point to the problem of gun violence in the U.S.  

Gun violence is a problem. The U.S. has the highest rate of gun related deaths out of any other developed country. But Fanaeian sees this as a privileged perspective.  

“Gun control is very much a middle-class issue. It’s an issue that people who live in privilege and in suburban neighborhoods believe in,” Fanaeian said. “But those who are working class, we understand that self-defense is a huge principle of ours and we do not believe that the government can use gun control in meaningful ways.” 

For the 4.7% of Salt Lake City’s population which identifies as queer and the 28.7% who are non-white, self-defense is important. The political left is less likely to own guns and more likely to be part of a marginalized community who face violence. Not arming this population gives conservatives and the police a monopoly on power. Fanaeian sees this as purposeful. 

“Gun control is essentially a tool that ends up disarming working and oppressed people from being able to defend themselves … the United States essentially uses gun control as a tactic to control Black and brown, queer and trans and other oppressed communities,” she said.  

Fanaeian and the Armed Queers acknowledge violence as a problem. However, they find it more worthy to work towards holistic societal solutions. These will eventually decrease the need for guns as a means of defense. 

“Violence is a phenomenon which was produced as a result of many different socio-political issues … poverty, not being able to have access to basic necessities such as food and water … in order for us to tackle violence in our society we need to tackle those causes,” she said.   

Local leftist organizations such as Armed Queers are imperative for political change. The work that Armed Queers does is just as important as it is radical.  

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@griffeeelizabeth