Ohio queer motorcycle club responds to anti-LGBTQ+ laws by teaching how to fire guns

As Ohio lawmakers advance a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, some queer and transgender residents say they are preparing to defend themselves. On a rural property outside Cleveland, that preparation is already underway.

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Inside a barn on a family farm in Northeast Ohio, spent shell casings scatter across the floor as students, all LGBTQ+, take turns learning how to safely handle firearms under the guidance of two trans instructors, The Buckeye Flame reports.

The classes, organized by members of the Cleveland chapter of Queers on Gears, an LGBTQ+ motorcycle group, have quietly grown over the past year. What began as a small effort among friends has expanded into a structured space where participants, many of whom had never held a gun before, say they feel safe enough to learn.

“People were smiling and happy and feeling comfortable,” organizer Fifi told The Buckeye Flame, describing the atmosphere as one where first-time gun owners could access firearms training without fear.

Fifi, who moved back to Ohio after living in Oregon, said the idea for the classes took shape amid the rapid pace of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the Republican-controlled statehouse.

“I was just like, ‘Holy crap! It really is a much different environment out here,” they said, comparing the climate to Portland. "There’s some hate for trans folks [there], but it's just nothing like it is here."

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That sense of unease is a throughline among participants. Several cited the state’s political climate as a reason to learn how to shoot, reflecting a broader shift in how some marginalized communities are thinking about personal safety.

The classes in Ohio are part of a broader moment in which some LGBTQ+ people are rethinking personal safety amid rising political tensions and threats of violence. Hate crimes targeting sexual orientation and gender identity have increased in recent years, according to FBI data, even as overall violent crime has declined. Advocates warn of the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation.

At the same time, gun ownership within marginalized communities remains a complex and often debated issue. Research from the Center for American Progress has found that people living in homes with firearms are about twice as likely to die by homicide and three times more likely to die by suicide, even as some LGBTQ+ organizers and other groups argue that access to training and education can be a form of harm reduction.

Bella, a transgender woman of color and co-instructor, grew up around firearms in rural Ohio and said she was drawn to teach after losing community in another motorcycle group following her transition. Queers on Gears, she told The Buckeye Flame, offered a rare sense of belonging and an opportunity to pass on skills she had long held.

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Organizers describe the classes as intentionally accessible. Participants don’t need to own a firearm, and experienced shooters often share equipment and guidance.

Many participants cited recent state actions as their motivation, including a diversity, equity, and inclusion crackdown that has led to closures of some LGBTQ+ centers at public universities, limits on instruction about gender and sexuality in schools, and requirements that students use bathrooms based on sex assigned at birth.

By contrast, the classes emphasize inclusivity in their advertising.

“There will be experienced folks sharing tips, tricks, and skills. You do not need to have a pew pew to participate; there will be plenty to share,” reads an Instagram post on the classes.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove inaccurate language describing Queers on Gears and to better reflect the original reporting by The Buckeye Flame.