Are we as CDs targets for harm?

[michelle64]

i personaly carry a gun in my purse when i am out enfemme..i know the pink pistols are a gay group which is very proactive on this matter as well....never know what idiot may try to do harm to myself...anybody else carry a gun inside your purse while out or am i in the minority?

[windycissy]

Are you out of your mind? If you should use that gun, even in self-defense, good luck getting a jury to treat you fairly, especially if you were dressed provocatively! Of course, if you are walking the mean streets at night en femme, maybe you should carry a gun...I've never felt endangered dressing conservatively and going to mainstream places like malls, museums etc.

[Kate Simmons]

While many of my friends carry a piece, I personally do not. Nor would I unless I decided to go ahead with being a private investigator. I understand the need some have for reassurance, especially when going into questionable areas. Despite the potential threat, the idea of possibly taking another life even defending myself does not set well with me. I've already taken more than enough lives during war and even if they were considered the enemy, that is hard to live with sometimes. I realize it is a personal decision but meditate on what you would do if the situation presented itself wherin you actually had to use it.

[KayR]

Here in the UK, we tend not to carry guns. The point of a 4" stilleto or a squirt of hairspray is about the most lethal thing I could offer. I would suggest not allowing yourself to get into harms way if you feel you need a gun!

[harmony]

the only times i ever had negative confrontations was with men who are insecure in there sexuality and cant understand why they are turned on by a man in a dress.a few well placed comments will usually get rid of them since they are mostly cowards to boot.
a gun would be overkill and putting them out of their misery is doing them a favour.

[Joanne f]

I think that anyone who is a bit different from the main stream is a target for harm, and as far as the gun is concerned you have to remember that once you show it the other person will assume that you are going to use it so are you prepared to accept the consequences that will arise from that .




joanne

[Deborah Jane]

The point of a 4" stilleto is about the most lethal thing I could offer.

If you use it right, it,s a hell of a weapon:devil::devil:

[Sasha Anne Meadows]

In most jurisdictions you are asking for trouble if you shoot someone even with a claim of self defense. Even if you are not prosecuted criminally you face some pretty stiff tort claims and an uphill defense.

[Emily Anderson]

If you're going anywhere that requires carrying a gun for protection, you're probably going to the wrong places. Either that, or your seriously over-compensating for your lack of confidence.

[Victoria Anne]

I carried a gun for over 20 years , well before I began going out. I am here only because I carried a gun , believe me you don't want that burden . With respect to war it is different , I'm a Marine and when I killed it was not in war but in self defense and so ruled the stse of New York but it does not make it easier to carry the burden. His face will haunt me for the rest of my life . Think careful before you find he need , if you pull it you better be ready without hesitation to use it.

P.S. I traded off my pistola for a colapsable baton

[Edyta_C]

Well I agree with packing. Of course I'm in Texas and that's sort of a Texas thing. Here one needs to have a permit to carry and a significant test on what the law is. It is not enough to feel threatened. One must be convincingly in eminent danger of harm or death.

The decision to carry is not one to be take lightly. And neither is the decision to draw a weapon. So Please BE Careful!!

Hugs Edyta

[Amy Lynn3]

I keep one in my car all the time (male or female). I have a permit and never wanted to be out at night, broken down on the side of the road and some nut come by. Yes, I would protect me or my family from harm. Mike Jordens father was killed on the side of a road. I don't know if a gun would have helped or not, but I have one in my car. My attitude is....I had rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.

[AmandaM]

I don't need it. But then again, I don't want to get arrested wearing panties, etc. The boys in the slammer might get ideas.

Edit: I have carried a gun in male mode. Right after the Rodney King riots I had to do business around Florence and Normandy. No one was gonna pull me outta my car.

[CD Susan]

I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I carry all of the time, no exceptions. If I am out while dreessed I feel very vulnerable and having a gun on my person is reassuring. Carrying a weapon is second nature to me, it is always there and I do not give any extra thought to putting a gun on my person than I would putting on my shoes or a cap or any article of clothing. I hope that I never have to use a gun in self defense but I am prepared to do so. In the majority of cases the mere displaying of a gun will eliminate any threat. I believe that if you pull a gun from it's place of concealment you should be prepared to use it without hesitation. The act of carrying a gun for self protection is a very serious matter and a lot of responsibility goes with it so if you are going to do it give the matter a lot of serious thought first. Also it is very important to do it legally. Take the required instruction course and range qualification to obtain the neccessary permit. There are only two states, Illinois and Wisconsin, that will not issue permits to carry a concealed weapon. All of the other states have some form of a law that allow permits to be issued. We live in a very dangerous world and having the means to protect yourself and your loved ones is a right and an obligation.

[Bridget Fitzgerald]

"If" your local laws allow carry permits, get one and carry. Otherwise bad idea.

[trannie T]

I do not believe that it is that dangerous to go out en femme. If you do not feel secure it is far better to carry pepper spray, it is legal in most areas, it requires far less training to use and the consequences of its use are way less than using a firearm.
The best defense is to be aware of your surroundings and of the people around you. If you are uncomfortable in a situation, leave.

[michelle64]

thanks for your thoughts....i do carry in my purse and have been trained to use a weapon....i for one am a big believer in being allowed to excerise my right to have a gun....all your posts were great and again thanks for your thoughts

[MsJoann]

I too have a state permit to carry and I always keep one in my office and one in my vehicle.
Keeping it in the vehicle is a good idea in the event of beiing enfemme and having a break-down in a bad geographical area.
In hard economic times as these, we are seeing an increase in criminal activity but mostly money related and nothing that would be directly tied into gay-bashing or tranny haters. I am cognizant of the fact that there are still many people who love to beat up people like us. Just ask any of your friends.
Personally I will not allow myself to be anywhere where I would be in harms way. Its that simple.
Although I could carry a pocket-sized appliance in my purse, it would not have the stopping power of a larger caliber.
My choice is to think twice before I go into a questionable location.

[Emily Anderson]

Yeah, let's all get a gun. That will solve the world's problems. If you don't like it, shoot it.

Why does anyone think that they might be the only one with a gun? The more people buy guns, the more likely we'll all end up shooting each other.

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh!

[Tamara Croft]

Yeah, let's all get a gun. That will solve the world's problems. If you don't like it, shoot it.Isn't that the answer to everything in the USA though?

I'm thankful it isn't allowed here in the UK, people walking around with guns, who knows when it might accidentally go off and kill someone... innocent by-stander... there are better ways to protect yourself... carrying a gun imho (and it is my opinion) is just too risky.

[Deborah Jane]

Learn self defence...
Imagine the embarressment for the guy...Beaten up by a crossdresser:devil::devil::heehee:
Especially in front of other people!!!!

[amber 07]

Yes, there are some differences between the U.K. and the U.S., and one of those is the RIGHT to bear arms. It is Your Responsibility to know HOW, and WHEN to use one. Dearest Tamara, a gun doesn't accidently go off, its usually through the stupidity of someone playing with one that doesn't have a clue what they are doing. I REFUSE to be a victim, and act accordingly. This is not to flame anyone in particular, just to make it known that there is a huge difference between what we believe in the U.S. and what they believe in the U.K., Australia included. It is one reason we are called Citizens in America, and you are called subjects of the Queen.

[Emily Anderson]

Amber,

I hear what you're saying, but I beg to differ.

I don't consider myself a subject of the Queen, or a Citizen of America, even after having lived many years in both places (and others too). I consider myself a citizen of the world, and I'm guided by common sense, not other people's beliefs, or religion for that matter.

[michelle64]

ok i did not post this topic to start a flame war....i carry a gun as my right and will continue to do so..i just wanted to see if other CD's did as well..yes i am one of those bitter people who clings to guns and religion..but this topic is not meant to be a political discussion on guns....i am fine with those who do not carry a gun...just dont try and tell me i cant....no perp is going to do me harm..nuff said

[Emily Anderson]

No flame war intended. Just giving my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own.

[michelle64]

rightly so..if you do not want to carry a gun for protection..then dont..no argument from me

[reinforced79]

Learn self defence...
Imagine the embarressment for the guy...Beaten up by a crossdresser:devil::devil::heehee:
Especially in front of other people!!!!

Yeah I'm thinkin of taking Muay Thai myself eventually.

[amber 07]

Hi Emily

It was so nice of you to reply to my post. I've lived in the U.S. and Australia and find a world of difference in the 2. In America I was allowed to carry a gun in plain sight wherever I went, Large metropolitan areas (Denver, Colorado) excluded. I always carried because I lived in the mountains and bear, and cougar attacks were always a possiblity. I lived in the bush (country) in OZ and was allowed a shotgun for predator control. In OZ there are many more gang attacks and home break-ins than the U.S. with 10 times the population, Why? because they know most people are unarmed. In America a crook is taking his life in his own hands when breaking and entering. I would rather be responsible for my safety than leave it up to the local constabulary. Thanks for your response. Hugs, Amber

[Samantha43]

Yeah, let's all get a gun. That will solve the world's problems. If you don't like it, shoot it.

Why does anyone think that they might be the only one with a gun? The more people buy guns, the more likely we'll all end up shooting each other.

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh!

Emily,
I don't mean to be rude, but that is not a very well thought out post. If you would do a little research, you would understand that the states that have enacted right to carry laws (35-40 states) have all experienced lower crime rates since enacting the laws. Think about it. Criminals are predators that prey on the weak. If they believe someone is armed, they will stay away. People who have carry permits have proven to be very responsible.

I am a competitive shooter and have a closet full of trophies (they're right next to my skirts and high heels :D) from events that I have won. Even though I am skilled, I choose not to carry for personal reasons. I am careful not place myself into situations where I would need to defend myself. That being said, I completely understand why someone would need to carry because of their situation.

[Sophia KT]

Learn self defence...
Imagine the embarressment for the guy...Beaten up by a crossdresser:devil::devil::heehee:
Especially in front of other people!!!!

Aikido is great for this. I made a bouncer look like a fool once [sadly I wasn't dressed up]

[Roberta Llyan]

i personaly carry a gun in my purse when i am out enfemme..i know the pink pistols are a gay group which is very proactive on this matter as well....never know what idiot may try to do harm to myself...anybody else carry a gun inside your purse while out or am i in the minority?

I will not answer whether I do or not but will say this:

I SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR RIGHT TO DO SO. Grant us that the 2nd Amendment will always be here for us and the politicians won't corrupt it any worse than they have already.

[KayR]

Yes, there are some differences between the U.K. and the U.S., and one of those is the RIGHT to bear arms. It is Your Responsibility to know HOW, and WHEN to use one. Dearest Tamara, a gun doesn't accidently go off, its usually through the stupidity of someone playing with one that doesn't have a clue what they are doing. I REFUSE to be a victim, and act accordingly. This is not to flame anyone in particular, just to make it known that there is a huge difference between what we believe in the U.S. and what they believe in the U.K., Australia included. It is one reason we are called Citizens in America, and you are called subjects of the Queen.

I find your comments incorrect and insulting. I will not bring your understanding of geography into question - we are approximately 13000 miles away from Australia, which is only nominally part of the Commonwealth. We citizens of the UK consider ourselves to be as "free" as you Americans do. In the main we regard our Queen as a symbolic head of nation - a bit like the Pope is head without exerting any control over the people.
To extrapolate on your point, anyone not bearing arms is less free than someone carrying a weapon.
There is a huge difference in attitude to weapons, specifically guns, between the two nations. In the main, we in the UK do not believe in bearing arms simply because it is our right so to do. If you believe that exercising your Constitutional right in these matters actually achieves anything, then you really need to study the violent crime figures that are produced. A good example is the number of people murdered with guns during burglary. Why? Because the victims cannot then identify the purpetrator if they are dead.
This of course is a purely personal opinion, which I am entitled to. You on the other hand insult our nation, and I will not, under any curcumstances tolerate that.

[Emily Anderson]

Samantha,

As I said earlier, I have my own personal beliefs and moral values, and honestly I don't care if you carry a gun or not. That's your own choice.

If you feel stronger, more confident, protected or whatever by carrying a gun, then so be it....

Just don't be surprised if one day you feel like using it, but your opponent blows your head off before you even finish that thought. Pouff!!!

I'd rather be in a fist fight and end up in hospital than be dead.

[Samantha43]

Emily,
You didn't read my post. I don't carry a gun and never have. I live in a very low crime area and avoid going into higher crime areas. I don't feel the need to carry one.

Getting into a fist fight with a criminal with a gun or other weapon sounds like a really bad idea to me. More than likely he gets away and you are dead.

Self defense is a basic human right.

[Nicki B]

If you carry a gun you are more likely to get into trouble, not less - because it makes you feel safer and you're less likely to get out of potential trouble quickly..


Can anyone point to any stats that show CDs in the US are more likely to suffer physical attack than the rest of the population?

[Stormgirl]

You should pick up martial arts,only use a gun as a last resort. And if you wound the person without killing them,they can turn around sue you! Of course we are a target for harm,there's people out there just hate for the sake of hating because they're scared and misinformed of being a cd or TG is about.

[AmandaM]

OK guys! Oops, girls. :) We know that Americans love their guns We know that others do not. Case in point. California required registration of all assault rifles. There is an estimated one million in Calif alone. 200,000 got registered. That's how paranoid Americans are about keeping firearms. You can love em or leave em, but one things for sure, you can't rape a .38.

[Emily Anderson]

Amanda,

I like your opening: Guys vs girls.

Guns are a typical "power struggle" male issue.

Give it up "guys". We don't need guns...

DD, where are you??? THIS is what differentiates guys from girls, masculine from feminine.

[AmandaM]

Amanda,

I like your opening: Guys vs girls.

Guns are a typical "power struggle" male issue.

Give it up "guys". We don't need guns...

Thanks. But, I have a point. Once, 12 gang members were going to home invasion my bro's house cause he was dating a dude's ex-girlfriend. They were going to knife both of us. We told a mutual acquaintance that we would open fire on anyone breaking in. We saw the two lowriders pull up, then our friend walked out to them. Then, both cars backed up! And they were gone. We didn't die that day. The cops don't come cause someone "might" want to get you. They take half an hour to get to the ghetto anyway. They want to make sure the shooting has stopped.

I need a gun. Legally or illegally, I'll have one. The cost is too great. Unless you can change American society I won't give in and neither will the great unwashed redneck masses.

[Emily Anderson]

Amanda,

Ummm, you're no dummy, and your rhetoric indicates that you know exactly what I mean. You know better than this.

[AmandaM]

Amanda,

Ummm, you're no dummy, and your rhetoric indicates that you know exactly what I mean. You know better than this.

Can't a girl have a little fun! :battingeyelashes:

[Laurelanne]

Luckily i live where the gun violence is still pretty miinimal as is other violence. BUT I do carry a knife just incase not that id use it persay BUT if it had 2 come to that.. well who knows Just like in self defense training there are other ways a GURL can protect and defend herself (Genetics is JUST a state of mind) You know if you look good you COULD get attention NOT because your not a GG but because youre hot...
I agree a gun is overkill (excusethepun) and if something should happen..?:doh:

[Emily Anderson]

Amanda,

No smilies here, but nice try.

[CD Susan]

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh![/QUOTE]
Lighten up Emily, I take that as an insult. You are showing your ignorance on the subject.

[Cindi Johnson]

I do not agree that "we live in a dangerous world", as one reply states. Not here in the USA at least. Statistics show a gun is far, far more likely to kill a family member than an attacker.

We do live in a world with too many white males, radios tuned to AM radio, day-dreaming of Rambo and Mad Max.

I've been out while dressed a lot, a whole lot, and have never once been threatened. And I live in red-meat Texas. (I have been attacked a few times while in male mode, but even then, I surely would not have considered killing the person. I mean, really! Males fight, particularly when young. It's part of life.)

But here's my take on this: when I dress, I emulate a woman. In fact, I emulate what, to my mind, would be an ideal woman. Which is why I don't smoke. Which is why I stay thin. Which is why I always wear makeup when I'm out. AND, which is why I would surely not carry a gun in my purse.

I mean, how much less feminine can a person get than to walk around with a gun? I know I wouldn't want to date a woman who packed heat. And therefore I won't carry one when I'm out as a woman.

Just my thoughts on a rather strange thread.
Cindi Johnson

[Suzy Harrison]

I'd never go out with a knife, a gun, a hammer or anything!

Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never felt threatend or been attacked and don't know anyone personally who has either. In Australia that sort of thing very rarely happens to the average person.

I don't think I'd think twice about going anywhere over here.

[LilSissyStevie]

It's difficult to conceal my firearm of choice in my petticoats. I just stay on the farm and shoot coyotes. They don't shoot back. :cowdance:

[michelle64]

Statistics show a gun is far, far more likely to kill a family member than an attacker.

We do live in a world with too many white males, radios tuned to AM radio, day-dreaming of Rambo and Mad Max.

that is completely untrue....i carry for protection..you certainly do not have too...but do not go and catergerize those that do..that is as bad as those out there who call CD's terrible names and who would terrorize us...those comments are no different

[Suzy Harrison]

Anyway.... don't you just love it when the US gun culture threads creeps back into the forum every now and again?...and we all know how it's going to finish !

Cue Tamara


:love: Suzy

[Stormgirl]

Just lock this thread up,the liberals have taken over once again.

[Billijo49504]

Hi All, I do have a state issued permit, and have had to use it. I was walking my grey hound, and we were attacked by a pitt bull!!! When my dog went behind me, the pitt bull clamped on to my left arm. I pulled my registered 9MM pistol and shot the dog. I would have rather shot the owner, but the dog was the one that attached. The police were involved and it was determined self defense. Try using a martial arts against a pit bull...BJ

[AmandaM]

<<Statistics show a gun is far, far more likely to kill a family member than an attacker.>>

Let's not quote discredited statistics please. Anyway, Freud said “A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity”.

:devil:


Oh, I kill me. Boy, if I was single, Ann Coulter would be my babe! :tongueout

Y'know, liberals don't believe in owning guns. I don't believe liberals should own guns either!

I still kill me!

[Melinda G]

I prefer to just go in safe areas. When you go looking for trouble, you usually can find it.

[Amy Lynn3]

Amanda, I just love your humor!!!! More, More................

[StayceeCD]

Hi Emily

It was so nice of you to reply to my post. I've lived in the U.S. and Australia and find a world of difference in the 2. In America I was allowed to carry a gun in plain sight wherever I went, Large metropolitan areas (Denver, Colorado) excluded. I always carried because I lived in the mountains and bear, and cougar attacks were always a possiblity. I lived in the bush (country) in OZ and was allowed a shotgun for predator control. In OZ there are many more gang attacks and home break-ins than the U.S. with 10 times the population, Why? because they know most people are unarmed. In America a crook is taking his life in his own hands when breaking and entering. I would rather be responsible for my safety than leave it up to the local constabulary. Thanks for your response. Hugs, Amber

Very true.. Bad guys will ALWAYS get guns! Why should people who have no intent on using them for crime or hurting others be kept from having them to protect family and home? By the time the police respond even if quickly, my family could be killed! In the UK, Canada and other countries mentioned here it is illegal however there IS gun violence. Once again, bad guy will ALWAYS get guns.. I do not carry a pistol, I only own rifles. But I support those who do carry pistols LEGALLY!
:2c:

[RockerTerri]

While i am VERY pro 2nd amendment, i dont think a forum like this is a good place to have political discussions. If you want to carry a gun, practice with it, and i mean more than that one time at the class you had to attend to get your CCW permit, learn how it operates, and i mean until you know instinctively how it operates. ONE mistake is all you get, folks.

If you dont wanna carry a gun, more power to you. I have had my CCW permit for 3 years and havent carried my pistol once. I also dont enter areas or establishments where its likely for me to need one. Your eyes and brain are far better weapons than a gun. If someone is hanging around the atm, DONT STOP THERE. If someone is following you, cross the street, and enter a public building.

Lets face it, if my attacker has a gun, its not like i am going to be able to get mine out of my IWB holster/purse/jacket/wherever, before he can slap that trigger. Dont walk alone at night unless you know the area well (like your local suburbs). Dont let people, especially in 2s, close in on you, most muggers work in pairs. And dont walk like your nervous, with keys clenched between your fingers and walking as fast as your skirt will let you. And just avoid areas where you have reason to expect problems. I dont think we are any more at risk than anyone else, so dont compound it and put yourselves in bad situations.

Terri

[Melinda G]

The problem with carrying a gun, is if you shoot someone, even in self defense, and are not charged, you will almost certainly be sued in the US. And it will be little consolation if you win the lawsuit, and are out 10 grand or more in attorney fees.

[Pandora]

For Americans the right to bear arms is a constitutional amendment and right. I personally don't own any guns or feel the need to but I will defend others who want to own them. I'm always amazed at the emotional responses this issue brings forth. And I'm pretty sure you're allowed to own guns in Canada too, although their rate of gun violence is much smaller. Wonder why.

One thing to think about if you're pro on gun bans is that most criminals don't follow the law anyway and will get black market guns. So who does a gun ban hurt? Law abiding gun owners not criminals.

In thinking about protection while out and about, I think trannie T had a good suggestion about the pepper spray. Or how about a taser? Are they small enough to fit in a clutch? It would be much better to avoid the legal troubles involved with shooting and possibly killing an attacker some are suggesting and just incopacitate a person. (that has to be the worst spelling ever.) :eek:

[AmandaM]

I don't know. It's like the Riddle of Steel. The Gods and Giants fought a war and when it was over they left steel on the battleground. Those who found the steel were just men. Kinda like letting the genie out of the bottle. Sad to say, but we are experiencing the same thing with nuclear weapons. A gun, is just a tool, and it's been abused. A gun, used in a lawful manner, is not dangerous to the ordinary citizen. There was a story once where a kid, about last century, brought his grandpa's shotgun to show and tell. The teacher told him, after he was done, to set it in the corner until time to go home. Can you imagine those days? Where it was like a saw, or a hammer. Think about it. Pitbulls were no big deal a hundred years ago. Sad.

[crusadergirl]

I don't carry a gun with me i'm not scared of what could happen. I don't train in MMA for nothing. I like to fight ppl hand to hand combat style so i don't want a gun. But if thats what you want to do to protect your self go ahead. I don't see cds as targets for harm unless your going to the wrong places.
Haters beware i don't care.

[StayceeCD]

A gun, is just a tool, and it's been abused..

Much like a fork.. It too has been abused.. Look at the rate of obesity and death due to obesity! When do we outlaw the "evil fork"?.. Clearly it's killing people!! The "government" has to stop it! Surely we can trust the government! Hey!! Dubya!! Send more forks-n-pork to the insurgents! How bout some butter too!! :devil:

[TV Wannabe]

My weapons are my fists.

[Emily Anderson]

Emily,
You didn't read my post. I don't carry a gun and never have. I live in a very low crime area and avoid going into higher crime areas. I don't feel the need to carry one.

Getting into a fist fight with a criminal with a gun or other weapon sounds like a really bad idea to me. More than likely he gets away and you are dead.

Self defense is a basic human right.

Actually, I did read your post. My response probably sounded too personal, because I used the term "you" instead of "one". Whether it referred to you or anyone, my sentiment remains the same.

OK, I think everyone knows where I stand on the gun issue :)

[stacylynn1]

what are you anti gun people going to say next that you are going to vote for OSAMA or HILARY good god people wake up hugs stacylynn1

[Kimmie]

California law does not allow the purchase of large caibur small guns that could easily fit inside a cluch purse. Which you would use at night. So you are stuck with purchasing a small 22 which may not be intimidating to an assailant, and will not likely stop him cold in his tracks unlike a 38 or 9m. Carrying a 45 or 50 cal Desert Eagle isn't exactly feminine, and compromises your ability to pass.

Going out in groups is the safest bet. Mace may be another option. It can quickly neutralize an assailant dedicated to commiting bodily harm. But most importantly its effects on the assailant are not permanenent, unlike a bullet wound.

Would anybody disagree with me on this one?

[Cindi Johnson]

All this talk about being attacked while crossdressed! I don't see it as a problem, folks. How many of us have been attacked, physically attacked, while dressed???

This gun business is, in my opinion, a poor solution to a virtually non-existent problem. Plus, carrying a gun would be like wearing boxer shorts under my skirt. It just ain't feminine.

Final thought: so many of you are attacking us who don't pack heat because, you imply, we want to ban gun ownership and destroy the 2'nd amendment and all that kind of stuff. Well, I didn't see any responses proposing such things. The subject was carrying a gun in a purse when dressed. It seems that so many of you right-wingers are programmed by the NRA to believe that any suggestion that a gun might not the best solution to any given problem is an argument to ban all guns. I own guns and I'm liberal; the two aren't mutually exclusive. Yes indeed, too much AM radio can do strange things to one's mind.

Cindi

[~Seana~]

I'm really torn how to answer this one. I hate guns with a passion, but when it comes to someone who intends you harm sometimes in life you have no option.
When I was growing up my mom and my stepdad were both working in corrections. My Stepdad was a member of an internal response team called IERT. He because of his job was required to keep all kinds of restricted weapons to do his job, everything from fully automatic rifles to handguns to night vision scopes. Because of this he, and everyone in my home were required to be certified and issued restricted weapons permits and I underwent alot of training to recieve those certifications. I also did some duck hunting growing up.
Now here in canada guns dont grow on trees like they do in Texas, or the US in general. Someone with my certifications is an extremely rare commodity.But that's where I grew up.
I mentioned that I hate guns. Well almost. I used to duckhunt in the maritimes growing up . Guns have only one purpose. They Kill things. They dont DO anything else. They spit bits of metal out the end with the sole purpose of killing or mutilating something or someone. There are some legitimate purposes for guns, like hunting, but they dont have a place in personal security. More often than not, the gun that is meant to help you end up being used on YOU and KILLING YOU. If you need a weapon, something nonlethal like a baton or capstan spray is a far better choice. Knives are not as you are as likely to cut yourself as your target and they have no range. Few people are prepared to properly use a knife in a fight. The purpose in using a weapon in self defence should ALWAYS be to disable to give you enough time to get away. Anything else is still murder /manslaughter.

Amanda

[StayceeCD]

Guns have only one purpose. They Kill things. They dont DO anything else.
Amanda

WTF??? A gun is a tool! PEOPLE kill things not guns!! I happen to enjoy the hell out of target shooting. It takes skill and concentration to hit a target at 100 or 200 yds.. I've never killed anything bigger than a rat and hope to god I never have to.. However unlikely as it may be, if some crack crazed junkie decides to break in my house at 3 am with intent to do my wife and 4 yr old daughter harm, and after a warning that I am armed and to leave the premises, they WILL be getting lead poisoning! :2c:

[AmandaM]

Warning? Ha. :heehee:

[Kimmie]

This intent of this thread seems to have been about whether carrying a gun in your purse is a good idea for safty reasons. But it has devolved into a political discussion.

Girls thats great that you have views and are willing to express them in an election year. But I'd politely ask that we keep this thread focused on safty concerns. So that some of us can take away more enlightenment on how to avoid becomming a victim of a mugging or a hate crime.

[Deborah Jane]

Try using a martial arts against a pit bull...BJ

Easy when you know how!!!
Grab him by the gonads and poke his eye,s out:devil::devil:
Works on the owner too!!:devil::devil:

[CD Susan]

WTF??? A gun is a tool! PEOPLE kill things not guns!! I happen to enjoy the hell out of target shooting. It takes skill and concentration to hit a target at 100 or 200 yds.. I've never killed anything bigger than a rat and hope to god I never have to.. However unlikely as it may be, if some crack crazed junkie decides to break in my house at 3 am with intent to do my wife and 4 yr old daughter harm, and after a warning that I am armed and to leave the premises, they WILL be getting lead poisoning! :2c:

Well put Staycee, my feelings exactely.

[LilSissyStevie]

Where I live the closest police station is 15 miles away. If you call the cops because someone is kicking down your door, they would say "Can't you hold them off? That's only a misdemeanor, we'll come by tomorrow and get a statement. Otherwise, call us back when you're dead, then it's a serious crime."

But really, there is no crime to speak of here. Everyone is their own policeman. And I don't worry much about getting sued for shooting some miscreant. It's a big desert.

Oh, and BTW, judging by the winners of the monthly turkey shoot, women out here are as handy with weapons and any man. There's nothing sexier than a woman with a big gun.:daydreaming:

[Lucypink]

Sticking with the main theme posted, on my first outings, I used to carry a pepper spray but after 3 o 4 times of going out dressed I simply forgot to take it with me. Now I do not think I could take one along, there is no space left at my purse. I never thought of caring a Gun may be because I don't have one. In my country It is illegal to carry one.

Going out in CD made me more confident specially because I found that no body cares.

So I think that all the lovely ladies which have gotten into the discussion of guns or not guns, Should be thankful for having the option to possess and carry a weapon if desired.
If I could own one legally, I will for sure have it at home for defense.

[StayceeCD]

Warning? Ha. :heehee:

LOL:heehee:

[Tamara Croft]

This is not to flame anyone in particular, just to make it known that there is a huge difference between what we believe in the U.S. and what they believe in the U.K., Australia included. It is one reason we are called Citizens in America, and you are called subjects of the Queen.You just flamed the whole of the UK, we aren't subjects of ANYONE... I find this completely offensive... :thumbsdn:

[Sophia KT]

You just flamed the whole of the UK, we aren't subjects of ANYONE... I find this completely offensive... :thumbsdn:


Exept me; gawd bless'em they do a won'ful job guvnor [tips hat]. If twernt for them, and the sound of leather on willow, wher'd we be? I tells yer where 'ud be, In the bloody EU now don't get me wrong....

Men in white coats arrive just in time.

[Bridget Fitzgerald]

I don't know, although not enfemme, I've been beaten have to death before. I have a fairly jagged chunk of my left eye socket chipped of from my face literally being stomped. Had a couple ribs broken and jaw too on the same beating.

Point is once you've ever been beaten that bad, you never look at people optimistically again. Nor do you feel it's likely authorities will protect you. Man is a savage animal in general.

[Deborah Jane]

wher'd we be? I tells yer where 'ud be, In the bloody EU now don't get me wrong....



Er Sophia..We are..
Brown sold us out, didn,t you see it.
He signed us up without the promised referendum:Angry3:

[Sophia KT]

I don't know, although not enfemme, I've been beaten have to death before. I have a fairly jagged chunk of my left eye socket chipped of from my face literally being stomped. Had a couple ribs broken and jaw too on the same beating.

Point is once you've ever been beaten that bad, you never look at people optimistically again. Nor do you feel it's likely authorities will protect you. Man is a savage animal in general.

This is true, and I had a few beatings in my time [even coppers once if I remember rightly]. Yesterday I was thinking that we tvs are a little self absorbed about this: most people spend pretty well every waking hour being objectionable in one way or other, we just give them something to aim at.


Er Sophia..We are..
Brown sold us out, didn,t you see it.
He signed us up without the promised referendum:Angry3:

Debs,

Oh yea! Forgot about that.

[Nicki B]

If you dont wanna carry a gun, more power to you. I have had my CCW permit for 3 years and havent carried my pistol once. I also dont enter areas or establishments where its likely for me to need one. Your eyes and brain are far better weapons than a gun. If someone is hanging around the atm, DONT STOP THERE. If someone is following you, cross the street, and enter a public building.

:yt:

Now, can we stop breaking the forum rules about the politics and go back to the original question?

[Amy Hepker]

Just remember That if you do use the gun, you will be going to jail until they figure out if you were right in using it. You will not go home, but straight to jail. So, you may want to think about that before using it or even showing it. If you show it someone may turn you in for having it and you still will end up in jail. It does not matter if you have a permit or not to carry. You cannot threaten to use it, or use it without consequences. If you ever get pulled over and the cops do a spot check and find a gun, you may have a time explaining why you have it in your car or on you or in your purse. I myself do not carry, but do plan on getting my permit someday to do so. Will I carry when dressed, I cannot say at this time.

[Seville]

Learn self defence...
Imagine the embarressment for the guy...Beaten up by a crossdresser:devil::devil::heehee:
Especially in front of other people!!!!


The lowest level of black belt takes 3 years of
intense study, and the 8-12 levels in black
belt take more years.

(Shaolin Kung Fu)

A gun is quicker.

[amber 07]

Well Tamara, maybe you should ask your government what THEY perceive you to be.

[battybattybats]

We are definately targets for harm.
The statistics are clear.
The gun debate should be sidelined to a large extent. It's not a legal option in many countries and it's not a simple one where it is an option, especially if you don't manage to get witnesses on your side.

How do GGs, more a target than men, less than us but arguably much more aware of their vulnerability, handle this situation?

Some basic self defense (better than nothing but don't rely on it. I've done my share of martial arts, none is perfect) isn't a bad idea.

Here's there main one as I recently mentioned in this other thread http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82407 don't go anywhere after dark without at least one companion.

Sure it means you have to be a little more out than otherwise but at least you get a 'girls' night out. Sure it might make hooking up a bit more difficult. Still how many TG deaths were with a bunch of friends they are out to? Not so many. Basic pack/herd tactics, nature's been using them for millions of years for a reason! There is safety in numbers!

That I think is a more reliable defence than some karate or where legal mace tasers or a handgun. (While illegal in Australia I did find cute the pink and leopard print tasers recently released).

Do a basic self defence course (keys make good knuckle-dusters when poking between fingers of a clenched fist for example), carry a personal alarm, stick close to your friends, don't go out after dark alone.

And don't rely on not being dressed! The CD from australian Idol Courtney Act was assaulted in drab! A lot of us are effeminate enough to be classed as gay by some homophobes (and of course plenty of us are gay or bi just like everyone else).

[kymmieLorain]

I have carried in the past but no while dressed. I had to carry large sums of money to do the company bank run and it was in a bad section of Detroit.

Maybe a small automatic in a garter holster. LOL

Kymmie

[Julogden]

Here in Illinois, you can't legaly carry a concealed weapon, yet there are tons of TG people out and about, haven't heard of any except those involved in illicit activites getting hurt in recent years (used to be bad in most places not too many years ago), with possibly one or two exceptions. I've had a change of heart on this subject in recent times, and I now feel that we really don't need a gun while out and about any more than the average person does. Use your head and you should be just fine. If you're foolish when going out, dressed or not, you can still get hurt for being in the wrong place.

I'm familiar with what happens when people can carry guns with little restraint, my brother had someone pull and point their gun at him in Arizona (where gun laws are very lax) several years ago because this person thought my brother had deliberately taken a parking space that this other person wanted. They got their parking space that they wanted, but they should have ended up parked in prison as far as I'm concerned.

And for the record, I am for gun ownership, just don't think that carrying a concealed weapon is a good idea for the average person. And yes, I do have legal guns in my home, and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. Defense of home is a different matter.

Carol

[CD Susan]

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh![/QUOTE]
Emily you are entitled to voice your opinion on this subject but to make a comment such as this one is rude and inconsiderate. You have insulted every gun owner and every potential gun owner on this site. You most certainly are a person who needs to learn some manners and how to express yourself in a way that is not offensive to others. You owe everyone on this site an apology for making such an insulting remark. I am in disbelief that the moderators of this forum have not deleted your totally inappropriate statement. I expect to see that apology from you.

[Deborah Jane]

The lowest level of black belt takes 3 years of
intense study, and the 8-12 levels in black
belt take more years.

(Shaolin Kung Fu)

A gun is quicker.

Ok..You win..I,ll get a gun:D

[amber 07]

Thank you Susan, you took the words right out of my mouth.

[Emily Anderson]

CDSusan,

I find it equally offensive for being accused as a "person who needs to learn some manners and how to express yourself in a way that is not offensive to others".

As Eminem once sang: "I find you offensive for finding me offensive."

I was just stating an opinion, strong as it may be, and if you read carefully I don't suggest anywhere that people should not be allowed to carry guns.

[tricia_uktv]

No we are not targets. Just need a hell of a sense of humour

[CD Susan]

Emily, if you were not implying that 99% of the population is not intelligent enough to own a gun then what were you trying to say? I certainly took it as an insult and I am sure others did as well

[Emily Anderson]

Susan,

I'm hoping that most will have read it as an opinion with a touch of wry humour.

[Stormgirl]

Ok..You win..I,ll get a gun:D

Remember,it's double tap in the chest and 1 in the head. :love:

[Deborah Jane]

Remember,it's double tap in the chest and 1 in the head. :love:

Of course...But just one in the kneecap if it,s only a warning:D

[Pandora]

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh!

I'm not offended Emily. I'm sure I'm in the 1% that is intelligent. :rolleyes:

[reinforced79]

Here in Illinois, you can't legaly carry a concealed weapon, yet there are tons of TG people out and about, haven't heard of any except those involved in illicit activites getting hurt in recent years (used to be bad in most places not too many years ago), with possibly one or two exceptions. I've had a change of heart on this subject in recent times, and I now feel that we really don't need a gun while out and about any more than the average person does. Use your head and you should be just fine. If you're foolish when going out, dressed or not, you can still get hurt for being in the wrong place.

I'm familiar with what happens when people can carry guns with little restraint, my brother had someone pull and point their gun at him in Arizona (where gun laws are very lax) several years ago because this person thought my brother had deliberately taken a parking space that this other person wanted. They got their parking space that they wanted, but they should have ended up parked in prison as far as I'm concerned.

And for the record, I am for gun ownership, just don't think that carrying a concealed weapon is a good idea for the average person. And yes, I do have legal guns in my home, and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. Defense of home is a different matter.

Carol


I live in Illinois too, and if I go out Crossdressing, it's either for Halloween, or the Gay Pride Parade, can't really do that on the West Side where I live, you'll definitely be beaten to a pulp.

[Stormgirl]

Of course...But just one in the kneecap if it,s only a warning:D

o0o I love your style!

[Sophia KT]

The lowest level of black belt takes 3 years of
intense study, and the 8-12 levels in black
belt take more years.

(Shaolin Kung Fu)

A gun is quicker.

You are forgetting victimology though; if you walk around looking like a prey you will become it.

It really doesn't take Bruce Lee to unsettle most people; so a little can go a long way. Miyamoto Mushashi said something like, 'many schools practice all kinds of strokes [of swordfighting] but you kill with only one'.

[Julogden]

I live in Illinois too, and if I go out Crossdressing, it's either for Halloween, or the Gay Pride Parade, can't really do that on the West Side where I live, you'll definitely be beaten to a pulp.
The West side of Chicago would qualify as a wrong place for going out while crossdressed then. If you know you'd get beat to a pulp there, don't go out dressed there.

I'm not saying that there aren't places where we'd be in danger, I'm saying don't go out dressed in places like that, gun or no gun. You have plenty of other places around Chicago where you can go out dressed in safety. You also have support organizations with activites in safe places, so you have safe options even if you live in a neighborhood where its unsafe to go out dressed. You may have to leave your neighborhood in drab and get dressed somewhere else, but where there's a will, there's a way.

If we go where the hazards are minimized, we should be as safe as anyone else.:2c:

Carol

[morgan pure]

To carry a gun in New York City or New Jersey means a year in jail. We wouldn't think of it here. Once on 14th St. I asked a working girl if the neighborhood was safe, she pointed to a man down the end of the block. She said, "Don't you worry, honey, my husband has a 9 millimeter and he take care of us."
Mace is very effective.

[Jennifer Giovannetta]

As long as the firearm is legal, and you have a permit to carry, there is nothing wrong with that. But remember that there are repercussions if you fire that weapon at another human being. Even if the shooting is deemed justified by your local Prosecutor. The only reason for you to fire that weapon at someone is to save your life or someone else's. I have always been a gun advocate as long as the weapon is legal, and the person who owns the firearm is responsible and understands gun safety.
But I have to add that I do not feel the need to carry a firearm when dressed. I do not go out often, but still feel that it is not needed. My good judgement, and avoiding potentialially dangerous situations is generally enough. I like to think of how women would handle themselves in the world. Although there are a few ladies who carry, some of them do not.
Just be careful!

[battybattybats]

OK, so by being careful when where and how we go out we can improve our personal safety. And for the pro gun/taser/mace folk they can carry where legal.

But so long as transphobia is allowed to foster and remain in society we will all still suffer from a higher chance if being victims of assault and murder just for being transgendered.

So we've covered ways to make ourselves personally safer pretty exhaustively.

But what can we do to make us safer as a whole?

What can we do to cut down the violence and hatred of our trans brothers and sisters?

How can we protect all transgender people from violence?

[Fiona K]

But so long as transphobia is allowed to foster and remain in society we will all still suffer from a higher chance if being victims of assault and murder just for being transgendered.

So we've covered ways to make ourselves personally safer pretty exhaustively.

But what can we do to make us safer as a whole?

What can we do to cut down the violence and hatred of our trans brothers and sisters?

How can we protect all transgender people from violence?

Isn't this the correct response to the thread question? Not how to react when attacked but to ensure society is changing such that the attacks don't happen?




I hope our US cousins can please stop beating up on those of us from countries where the thought of even handling a gun is simply anathema to most of the population. There are weapons in the hands of bad guys here but the majority of the population from whichever side of the political spectrum don't believe that we'd be better off with everyone carrying a pistol. It certainly didn't help in Northern Ireland in the bad old days.

I can't fathom the need to own assault rifles at all? You can't hunt with an AK47 or M16 can you? Not if you don't want to have your venison pre-minced anyway...... There is another advantage to assault weapons being illegal, if the cops see someone carrying one they don't have to figure out if the person's a bad guy or not.
He is, end of story. If he lifts it to aim, he gets dropped where he stands.



Anyway, a good friend of mine says "never wear an outfit you can't fight in"!

[MsJanessa]

I own some handguns but don't usually carry them---target practice only--I do carry pepper spray and the occasional whip--lol---after all I wouldn't want to break a nail or mess My makeup in a fist fight.:dom:

[LovelyRita]

Fiona, as Americans we are not "beating up" others as you say so much as defending ourselves from being called "gun tot'n Rednecks"
I have own many, many guns over the years and including an AK-47 which makes a pretty decent brush gun when deer hunting, much lighter and shorter than my Browning 300 mag with scope. One shot per trigger pull like any other gun. I have carried concealed for many years as well. Never have pulled my gun out it on several occasions it gave me the security to help a stranger out at nite broke down on the side of the road. If not for a gun in my waste band of my jeans I might not have felt safe enough to pull over and help these people with their car trouble at 3 a.m.

[linnea]

i worry about my safety sometimes, but i don't carry a gun.

[Samantha Thomson]

i agree w you tamarra but here in the usa sad but true to manny haters who would try to hurt anybody not just us just because they have nothing better to do would i carry a gun if when i went out alone yes i own one and have a permit but i dont i go w a group of us girls 7-8 so any haters would just move on but it a shame what are county is coming to



samantha

[battybattybats]

Ok, ok.

The whole gun culture divide between the USA and the UK and Australia is significant to people on both sides of the arguments on both sides of the oceans.

But come on. Isn't it about time it gets dropped out of the subject?

It doesn't matter for those countries where gun carrying is illegal.

And no amount of self defence training or advanced weaponry can render anyone completely safe so why don't we address the rest of the issue?

So, can we leave the weaponry discussion alone for a little while and discuss the issue from the view that some can't carry them and some wont and they too all need to be safer.

How can we improve the safety of everyone?
That is the important question, guns or no guns!

[Chantellexxx]

I live in Australia so our gun laws are tough. I tend not to go to busy public places when dressed however I often walk alone at night "enfemme". Being "noticed" by others does not concern me, I dress for my own satisfaction & peace of mind. When I do go walking or swimming { I live near a beautiful river} I always have my dogs. I train dogs as a job, my two Belgian Malinois are fully attack trained & have saved my little pantie covered bum more than once,lol.:) I have found no matter how "tough" a group of men think they are, no one wants to mess with the snapping jaws of an attack dog! So nobody bothers Chantelle with Euro & Faydrah by her side!:battingeyelashes:

[donnalee]

Okay, time for a reality check.
There are NO safe places, only SAFER ones; disaster can still strike anywhere, and criminals are mobile.
"Gun control" laws only affect the law abiding; they do not affect criminals by definition.
"Gun violence" is at best a misnomer and at worst a myth; guns are inanimate objects and cannot be violent.
I have been shooting for 35 years. Initially, aquiring a firearm was prompted by a break-in at our home while both I and my SO were present; I was in the basement working on my car and did not know what was going on until I went upstairs to find my SO shaking. Someone had come in through the window and was in the process of stealing a small TV from our living room. My SO (who weighs about 100lbs) had come into the room without her glasses and thought the intruder was me; asked what I was doing and then realised there was a stranger in the house. With incredible presense of mind, she offerered to let the guy out and he left quietly.
After this I took a long and hard look at the ways to protect me and mine and a firearm was by far the best option.This requires much practice and training, plus a great deal of studying the laws and realities af firearm use.
Make no mistake, this IS my martial art. The others are impractical for a number of reasons, although I'm reasonably handy with a knife. I would much prefer the bad guys don't get close enough to me to do any damage.
"There are no dangerous weapons, just dangerous people" - Robert Heinlein

[cd_britney_426]

The world is never going to be a perfect place nor a place with total safety. Trans people can end up in dangerous situations or victims of crime just as anyone else but the question here is to prevent trans people from being victimized solely due to the fact that they are transgender. I've always believed in "think globally, act locally." There are two main ways to minimize the amount of hate crimes against transgendered people. In order to benefit the group, each individual has to contribute. The first method is education. It is the responsibility of every trans person and ally to make it well known to the general public when there has been a hate crime against us. By widely publicizing horrible crimes, it can bring awareness to the public that this is a serious issue. The public needs to be educated that trans people are normal and people should receive at least the most basic education in trans issues. If schools can cover various ethnic and cultural groups in social studies classes, a brief coverage of transgendered people can be included. Most people don't know the difference between a crossdresser, drag queen, and transsexual although these fit under the TG umbrella. The less this issue is swept under the rug and the more it is treated as normal, the less violence there will be. American culture has a serious gender problem in my opinion to begin with. The way the culture expects men and women to behave and the way masculinity and femininity are portrayed and promoted in pop culture is extremely unhealthy and as long as the public continues to eat it up, there will be hostile attitudes against TGs because we definitely go against those norms by far.

The second method to prevent hate crimes involves your own personal demeanor. It is sad but true that people do stereotype and they do expect you to represent the entire group. If they will perceive the entire group based on your actions then please behave! A lot of t-girls I come across are not good people to be around. There are plently of t-girls who are prostitutes, repetitive criminals, and delinquents who never pay their bills, hold a job, or do anything reasonably productive with their lives. Do not let that be you. When dealing with the ignorant public whether dressed in drab or enfemme, be the "better man" or "better woman." Do not look for fights or arguments but try to be an example to the ignorant. I have to say that I have been around plenty of t-girls in public places who act trashy in terms of how they dress, talk, and otherwise conduct themselves. Again, do not let that be you. There is another way to prevent another hate crime and this is still "bundled" in the second method. As long as you are not a victim, that is one less victim. Take it a step further and educate your t-girl friends and as long as you and your friends are not victims, there are that many fewer victims in society.

You have the ability to not be a victim. Whether dressed in drab or enfemme, you owe it to yourself and the rest of the trans community to use street smarts and encourage your t-girl friends to do the same. That may or may not include weapons but it will include the basics of self-defense such as do not put yourself in dangerous situations when not necessary, be aware of your surroundings, avoid unnecessary confrontations, and if given an option of fighting or walking away, be a mature adult and walk away. I have witnessed many fights involving trans people where the trans person may not have started it but had the option of ending it yet chose to aggrevate it instead. That puts not only their life in danger but now it puts my life in danger because I have to deal with it. Take personal responsibility for yourself and the people around you. Be a true friend which means that you may have to warn another trans friend that you do not approve of her behavior because it is dangerous and irresponsible and puts YOU in danger as well.

Didn't mean to rattle on but the best you can do is take responsibility for yourself and those around you and then educate as many people as reasonably possible. Fate is not in your hands but when given a choice, choose the better option. While nobody EVER deserves to be victimized simply for being trans, we can at least take actions that minimize that possibility of happening to us. Many if not most victims of hate crimes fell into to some degree a combination of the following: intoxicated, late at night, bad neighborhood, associating with the wrong crowd, poor street smarts, and engaging in illegal practices themselves. Again, no excuse to be victimized but I would rather have a trans friend of mine not do something stupid and be alive than to do something stupid and end up in the newspaper. Then it is too late for a debate. I look forward to hearing other comments on this. :) Britney

[kay_jessica]

i personaly carry a gun in my purse.......


...no perp is going to do me harm....

What is it with you Americans wanting to carry guns all the time. OK its enshrined in your constitution but hey, its the 21st Century not the wild west any more. OK being a CD may attract attention but only if you do it wrong. If you are carrying a gun whilst out dressed you are going to be in a heightened state of tension already and are more likely to over react to all kinds of situations so when that person you perceive to be a perp, seems to make what you perceive to be aggressive moves your reaction will be to blow his head off. Nice! Remind me next time I go to the States not to approach any one for help as I might get my head blown of because it happened to be a CDer in a heighten state of tension and she thought I was a perp.

Then, I've been to the US a few times and I did not see any gangs of outlaws or rampant tribes of renegade Indians bearing down on me. Even in California! Is there not enough incentive for you lot to turn them in to hair clips after the senseless slaughters of the past few years. True we get gun crimes here in the UK and else where in Europe, but because it is illegal to carry the pesky things there is a lot less pro-rata than your precious civilized country.

I have yet to hear a good logically argued reason for an ordinary person to carry a concealed weapon. No one so far has come remotely close to convincing me that it is necessary.

Kay

[Ashley Lynn Swift]

Isn't that the answer to everything in the USA though?

I'm thankful it isn't allowed here in the UK, people walking around with guns, who knows when it might accidentally go off and kill someone... innocent by-stander... there are better ways to protect yourself... carrying a gun imho (and it is my opinion) is just too risky.

amen, Tamara.
personally i don't like gun's and don't own one, of course that could have something to do with getting shot in the head with a pelt gun when i was 17, but i don't know, personally I'd never carry a gun while em femme if I owned one, but when I first start driving a truck i used to carry a flare gun, but back then i was mainly driving in the worst parts of new york, maimi, and Las Angelas at the time, spent many nights parked on the side on the road in compton waiting to deliver the next morning, and I'd be damn if i wasn't going to give any potental highjackers a reason to think twice next time, while a gun might put them on the ground temperary, or in the ground, a flare gun that's going to give them a constant reminder of their stupidity, thankfully i never had to use it. but when en femme i'll just still to good old fasion mace, or a tazor.

[Ashley Lynn Swift]

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99% of the population from getting one.

Sheesh!
Emily you are entitled to voice your opinion on this subject but to make a comment such as this one is rude and inconsiderate. You have insulted every gun owner and every potential gun owner on this site. You most certainly are a person who needs to learn some manners and how to express yourself in a way that is not offensive to others. You owe everyone on this site an apology for making such an insulting remark. I am in disbelief that the moderators of this forum have not deleted your totally inappropriate statement. I expect to see that apology from you.[/QUOTE]

you know if your going to take offense in Emily's commit I would hope that You also took offense in Amber 07 commits about the differnence in the US and the UK, Me I'm proud to be An American and yes I'm all for the 2nd admendment, and i found Amber o7's commit about the UK very offensive, but I can see some truth in Emily's statement about an IQ test, yes I don't doubt that the percentage wouldn't be that high probably closer to 30%. But just think maybe Vanilla Ice would have had a longer career if he had to of had an IQ test before he got his gun and went to the store with it. some people really have absolutely no business own a gun less alone carrying it. In closing if your going to demand an apology from Emily you should also DEMAND ON FROM Amber 07. everybody's entitled to their opion. and maybe you should demand an apology from yourselve for being so hard on Emily.

[battybattybats]

Lemme try again.

Folks. There are people on this forum from a variety of countries with a variety of laws and yet transphobic violence is a problem in probably every single one of them!

Now, those of you who approve of carrying guns need to consider the problems that 1. your opponent may be a quicker draw than you so dealing with other ways of reducing the danger are still useful to you anyway 2. many other girls in your own country may not chose to carry a gun and 3. that doesn't mean a hill of beans to people in the majority of countries where civilians can't carry concealed firearms or other weapons legally!

Now, those of you who oppose carrying firearms need to consider the problems that 1. it's legal in the USA and some folk are going to carry them no matter what you say and 2. it doesn't mean a hill of beans to people in the majority of countrues where civilians can't carry concealed firearms or other weapons legally!

So to try and make myself thoroughly clear there is not one logical point to carrying on the guns vs no guns debate in this discussion! Changing the relative laws and culture either in the USA or the rest of the developed world is a comparable struggle to eleiminating transphobia and anti-trans discrimination. Both sides are wasting everyones time in an off-topic discussion that will make not one single transperson safer from transphobic violence!

So please, please, pretty please with suger on top, please drop the gun control/liberty debate entirely and address the rest of the issue!
Either side winning the argument conclusively and finally will not help at all and is as unlikely as my being elected world dictator by a unanimous vote of every single human and penguin on the planet before midnight tonight.

Those who can carry guns can carry them but the threat of transphobic violence remains! So gun toting gals and guys instead of arguing in favour of guns deal with what else needs to be done to deal with transphobic violence and non gun toting gals and guys instead of arguing against guns deal with what else needs to be done to deal with transphobic violence.

Carrying guns is an option available to only a small minority of TG folk on this planet and not everyone able to do so choses to do so. Therefore it is irrelevant to the subject for the vast majority of TG people including many in the USA too.

Those who utterly cannot help themselves and need to debate the gun control issue might want to consider a seperate thread on the subject in the lounge section perhaps?

But people are dying every year from transphobic violence in countries where guns can and cant be carried so lets actually deal with the real issues shall we?

Now unless the next person who wants to post about guns can find a massive fatal flaw in every point in that logic can we get to some genuinely usefull discussion on the subject please?

[michelle64]

for my american sisters,,the heller case is due to be announced by the SCOTUS elfs on thursday at 10:00am(ish)...word leaking out is good news for gun owners...as i sit here in my mismatched attire i have come to realize that thank the good lord for our bill of rights...the overseas crowd is entitled to their beliefs and they have some beautiful country over there..however i would not want to live there..there are some great replies here for personal safety..and that was my intention in starting this thread..stay safe

[wishonastar]

I knew a black belt that got into fights about every week. The other guys ALWAYS started it.

You want trouble you will find it.

But sometimes it does come to you.

So just avoid the potential problem spots or confrontations. I know for some that is cowardly, like my friend would feel, but I have never been a fight or had to defend myself because I can talk my way out or run fast or just do not push buttons!


I have an air taser which in California you can carry concealed. I have stun guns in cars. I do not what to kill someone (I have talked to police that have, some never get over it), but do keep pistols at home. We live in a rural area and have been told it could take over one hour for the sheriff to show. So we are on our own!

[donnalee]

I knew a black belt that got into fights about every week. The other guys ALWAYS started it.

You want trouble you will find it.

But sometimes it does come to you.

So just avoid the potential problem spots or confrontations. I know for some that is cowardly, like my friend would feel, but I have never been a fight or had to defend myself because I can talk my way out or run fast or just do not push buttons!


I have an air taser which in California you can carry concealed. I have stun guns in cars. I do not what to kill someone (I have talked to police that have, some never get over it), but do keep pistols at home. We live in a rural area and have been told it could take over one hour for the sheriff to show. So we are on our own!

You must understand that firearm use is an act of last resort, after the suggestions that have been made as to avoiding trouble have been used and found wanting, and the only way to save your ass is to down your opponent and make sure he can't get back up. I would not take human life if it could possibly be avoided without putting me or mine in harm's way. I would feel terrible if I had to do it; but make no mistake; if push comes to shove, I WOULD do it to proctect myself and my SO.

[Fab Karen]

What is it with you Americans wanting to carry guns all the time. OK its enshrined in your constitution but hey, its the 21st Century not the wild west any more.



I have yet to hear a good logically argued reason for an ordinary person to carry a concealed weapon. No one so far has come remotely close to convincing me that it is necessary.

Kay

Not all Americans are gun-crazy. This doesn't define us as a nation. & you're right, it isn't necessary. Going around with a gun you're in the mindset of expecting violence. If only the 2nd Amend. people were as concerned about the other Amendments being taken from us, our country might be in better shape.

[Nicki B]

So please, please, pretty please with suger on top, please drop the gun control/liberty debate entirely and address the rest of the issue!
Either side winning the argument conclusively and finally will not help at all and is as unlikely as my being elected world dictator by a unanimous vote of every single human and penguin on the planet before midnight tonight.

I don't think some people are able to hear your argument, Batty.. :sad:


Those who utterly cannot help themselves and need to debate the gun control issue might want to consider a seperate thread on the subject in the lounge section perhaps?

:yt:

[Emily Anderson]

I don't think some people are able to hear your argument, Batty.. :sad:
:yt:

It's not Batty's thread, so no need to take it off at a tangent. The original question was about whether people carry a gun for self-protection, and the ensuing debate has been fascinating, to say the least.

[Shadow]

Yeah, let's all get a gun. That will solve the world's problems. If you don't like it, shoot it.

Why does anyone think that they might be the only one with a gun? The more people buy guns, the more likely we'll all end up shooting each other.

I think there should be a mandatory intelligence test as a prerequisite to buying a gun. That might eliminate 99&#37; of the population from getting one.

Sheesh!

Could you Please explain why Washington, with the strictest anti gun laws has the highest rate of crime. And Texas with the highest rate of gun owners has a much lower crime rate??? There is a town in Texas (can't remember it's name) Where the law states that everyone over the age of 21 and no criminal record HAS to carry a loaded firearm over the caliber of 22 at all times. Thier 7 11 has never been robbed, and there hasn't been rape in 37 years

[Emily Anderson]

I dunno Shadow. You seem to be the authority, so why don't you explain it to everyone while we sit back and enjoy the show?

[battybattybats]

Guns cannot be carried legally by the vast majority of crossdressers in the world.

I canot legally carry concealed a gun, a knife, a sword (mentioned only because I am good with one and they can be concealed in canes), a taser or mace. All concealed weapons are strictly illegal for civilians in my state.

The best I am legally allowed to do is carry a personal alarm and while I can poke a key through my fingers to protect my knuckles and inflict greater damage assuming I have time to do that I can then possibly be charged for doing so!

Now a crossdressing child was murdered with a gun in his classroom in the USA within a week of my birthday this year. Some transpeople have been murdered within their own homes.

Even the 'safest' places can be unsafe. Not everyone assaulted for being transgendered had a choice of walking away or avoiding a fight.

The gun issue is an option for only a tiny minority of crossdressers. What about the rest of us?

So as guns aren't the answer for most people what is? As nowhere is totally safe what then? As you can't always walk away what then?

How about treating the cause rather than the symptoms?

[donnalee]

Gene Hackman - "You just shot an unarmed man!"
Clint Eastwood - "Well, he should haved armed himself."
The Unforgiven (1992)

[annabellesmooth]

yes amber
this is why im glad to be an aussi
liveing in a part of sydney were i as an anglo saxon am a minorioty an yes we to have had riots caused by small minded people, but a smile is free and frendly in all cultures,
leave your gun at home an you to can be humble
an lets not crap on other lands,
as you live in a glass house
love to all:love:

[cd_britney_426]

I agree with Batty that we should keep this thread international-friendly because different countries have different laws as well as culture. So the UK-US and US-UK attacks are quite pointless. Regardless of what you can or cannot carry in your country, state, or municipality, you can still reasonably defend yourself if you practice the basics of self defense which mainly focus on simple street smarts.

I do have to add something about the gun issue in the U.S. though. Most gun crimes happen in "weapons free zones." The man that shot up Virginia Tech--weapons free zone. The man that shot up Omaha mall--weapons free zone. The school that Batty referenced--weapons free zone. In most U.S. states, weapons are prohibited in schools and places that serve alcohol and in workplaces, churches, or shopping malls by internal policy. Because guns are legal in the U.S., a criminal knows that another citizen might have one. Therefore, a criminal is going to attack someone he thinks is not carrying a gun. That is why psychos don't shoot up police stations, airports, or military installations but instead choose schools, shopping malls, and workplaces.

Back to the topic, though, TGs are at high-risk for violence and I read that TGs are 200 times more likely to be murdered in the U.S. than non-TGs. If that is true, we have to be seriously concerned. Please see my points in the previous post with regards to education and personal responsibility. Britney

[Emily Anderson]

Just fyi in case you didn't see it yet, the headline on Yahoo! today:

"Supreme Court says Americans have right to guns"

[PhillyGuy2Girl]

Personally I am very pro 2nd admendment. I'm glad to hear that many CDers are protecting themselves. Also, I think more women should protect themselves also.:)

[donnalee]

Not all Americans are gun-crazy. This doesn't define us as a nation. & you're right, it isn't necessary. Going around with a gun you're in the mindset of expecting violence. If only the 2nd Amend. people were as concerned about the other Amendments being taken from us, our country might be in better shape.

The 2nd Amendment is the one that enforces all the others in the bill of rights. The founding fathers knew that a well armed (regulated) people (militia) would prevent the development of absolute rulers amd other perversions of the constitution. This is why they balkanised the government into 3 different branches, so that 1 could not achieve absolute power (checks & balances).
It's not a matter of EXPECTING violence; it's being prepared for it if and when it comes.

[AnnMorgan]

StayceeCD and I live in the same State. I've had a permit to carry for over 15 years. Bad things do happen to good people and I realize that I am responsible for my/our own protection. To me it is unacceptable to be made a victim because of some faceless, nameless bureaucrat who BTW will have an armed security force protecting their pudgy butt.

[DanaR]

Wow, I cant' imagine going anywhere fem or not fem; where I would need a gun for protection. There are too many better places to go.

[Beth-Lock]

The most I have thought of carrying in my purse is a small bottle of spring water. There is a GG here though, a woman of some class,, who carries a knife when out at night I am told. But that sort ofthing is unusual.

[cd_britney_426]

Wow, I cant' imagine going anywhere fem or not fem; where I would need a gun for protection. There are too many better places to go.

You cannot be sure that any place is 100% safe. In fact no place is and bad things can happen anywhere. Sometimes the worst things can actually happen in the places you would least expect. The criminals from the bad side of town will go to the nice parts of town to do their crimes. Be aware of your surroundings and it will minimize the amount of trouble you are likely to catch yourself in. This applies whether one is in femme or non-femme.

[Cindi Johnson]

I agree with you 100%, StephanieF. Having been to Canada often, and to many other countries, I'm always amazed at the mindless jingoism of so many here in the USA towards you all. No matter what the subject (even the odd subject of what a TG girl should carry in her purse) it always comes around to "In the USA, we're the best!!" Unfortunately, such is not always the case.

Cindi Johnson

[Nicki B]

It's not Batty's thread, so no need to take it off at a tangent. The original question was about whether people carry a gun for self-protection, and the ensuing debate has been fascinating, to say the least.


OK, so by being careful when where and how we go out we can improve our personal safety. And for the pro gun/taser/mace folk they can carry where legal.

But so long as transphobia is allowed to foster and remain in society we will all still suffer from a higher chance if being victims of assault and murder just for being transgendered.

So we've covered ways to make ourselves personally safer pretty exhaustively.

But what can we do to make us safer as a whole?

You don't think that question is worth addressing, then, particularly given the thread title? :strugglin

[SatinDoll00]

I would never go out en femme unarmed.

At least a hidden knife, or worse. I own several guns, many of them too big to conceal on what I wear. :)

At the very least, I have a black belt is Sho-ryn-roo (a martial arts technique that involves bone breaking and disarming assailants).

If one is to go out in a skirt, when one does not belong in a skirt, one should be prepared to deal with the consequences of wearing said skirt.

Now...I am the least violent person you will ever meet. Sho-ryn-roo for me is an art form. I practice it as a one would practice ballet. But I do feel sorry for the misguided a-hole that decides that he needs to put his hands on me! :)

Morgan

[rian]

Since Im a closet crossdresser I did not think Im going to use a gun in my life .therefore Till the moment arrives I will think about it .

[Bev06 GG]

i personaly carry a gun in my purse when i am out enfemme..i know the pink pistols are a gay group which is very proactive on this matter as well....never know what idiot may try to do harm to myself...anybody else carry a gun inside your purse while out or am i in the minority?

Hi Michelle,
I think anyone is a target for harm nowadays. You dont even have to open your mouth to give a differing opinion on a said subject to become a victim of someones brutality. However, I dont think carrying a gun is really any protection and could cause more problems than it actually solves.
Bev

[AmandaM]

I used to carry a gun in the ghetto. But don't anymore. I tend to ignore anti-Constitutional laws, akin to someone who refusing to not speak who cites the First Amendment. But, I don't think carrying a gun is expecting violence. That would be like saying you take karate cause you expect violence. In some areas, it is prudent. Since I live in the middle-class now, I don't worry about violence so much. If you are well-trained, a gun is effective defense. The thing you have to ask yourself is, can I go to jail for hurting someone dressed like this?

[donnalee]

A firearm, PARTICULARLY a handgun, requires thorough and constant training to be effective. It presents two huge advantages to the well-trained user:
1. It is capable of disabling an opponent before he can get close enough to do you harm. Obviously, the better trained you are, the more this is true.
2. It doesn't make a difference how big or strong or what sex or age you are; how you are dressed or what your health, disability or physical condition is; with training you can become proficient in it's use. This is why a gun is called an equalizer; it does precisely that.

As far as using it in given circumstances, this is a matter for study, particularly your local laws; for if somehow you get prosecuted, they are the ones who will do it. However, ask yourself "if I or my loved ones appear to be in danger, should I act now or put them at risk by worrying about potential legal consequences?" Whatever those might be, refusing to act can be much more dangerous to your, their and society's well-being.

[battybattybats]

For those whose countries allow them it might be worth exploring the option of non-lethal weapons like capsicum spray and tasers in this thread.

There are even tasers available in pink and leopard-print!

For those who have the option of firearms but who do not want to use that option and for those who have the option of these but not firearms it's well worth bringing them into the discussion. Their relative efficacy would be particularly worth bringing up.

However this is also a global community. In NSW Australia where I live even those weapons are illegal.

And as attackers can also legally be armed to whatever extent the defender is the best that carrying a weapon can do is to engage in a contest of reflexes and training and natural aptitude. On average what that will do is give a 50-50 chance to the defender.

Your life in the toss of a coin.

Now those with above-average skills may feel confidant in their self defence abilities but the problem remains for all those below average people. Some people will always be disadvantaged in a fight and therefore vulnerable.

That is the great myth about self defence. Not everyone is going to be able to be competant at it even with firearms let alone assuming that merely being competant will guarantee being better skilled than ones attacker.

It's all well and good if you think your safe, but what about those who still aren't? Is such confidance missplaced or worse is the capacity or willingness for some to rely on it meaning they are being complacent in regards to the needs of their sisters and brothers? Are those able to defend themselves leaving their fellow CDs in the lurch?

Is reliance on being armed a gamble that while possibly having some benefit still being a partial, gamble at best, treatment of the symptoms while allowing the cause to spread and fester?

In which case isn't relying on just self defence measures as the answer to the problem essentially contributing to the problem for others by the inaction on the cause?