They can have my gun....

I don't get this -- why on earth would anyone need to carry a concealed firearm to a gay pride celebration if not with the express intent to cause harm to someone? Going to a gay pride celebration "packing" sort of gives the impression that these folks are looking for trouble, doesn't it?

Utah Gays To Carry Concealed Arms To Pride
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Salt Lake City, Utah) A gay gun club says its members will bring firearms to Salt Lake Pride celebrations next month despite a regulation from Pride organizers that says no guns are allowed at the events.

Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah founder David Nelson says that the rule which would ban "weapons of any kind" is too broad, unenforceable.

Nelson said that his members own and use legally concealed firearms and will not be deterred by the regulation. He said that the rule is a departure from the 2003 and 2004 pride events when organizers agreed that people with legally concealed firearms could not be denied admission to the events.

Nelson said that his requests to the organizers to revise the new rule remain unanswered.

Some 30,000 people are expected to attend this year's Pride in Sault Lake City from June 8 through 12. It is one of the largest outdoor events organized in the city.

"Previous organizers understood that people with Utah Concealed Firearm Permits have met every federal and state legal requirement to choose carrying legally concealed firearms, and welcomed us," Nelson said.

"There were no complaints at the 2003 and 2004 events. The previous organizers didn't confuse the difference of legal and illegal firearms."

"New organizers announced their plan to search all attendees and their personal property, but I suspect their 30,000 searches would quickly become impractical and a public-relations disaster," Nelson said. "

Seven of the eight announced Pride events are planned for the Salt Lake City Public Library, Library and Washington squares, and the surrounding city streets and sidewalks - all government properties, according to Nelson.

"State laws are very clear about who, what, when, where, why and how legally concealed firearms may be prohibited," Nelson said. "In almost every instance, the organizers fail the legal requirements that would let them ban our firearms."