Armed Queers creator Ermiya Fanaeian is a radical trans activist.

FBI Investigating Founder of LGBTQ Pro-Gun Group

The founder of Armed Queers SLC, an LGBTQ group that champions gun rights, is under investigation by the FBI, particularly regarding links to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his sniper, Tyler Robinson.

In the wake of Kirk’s death, Armed Queers SLC seems to have removed its online presence. However, law enforcement has reported that all publicly available information about the group has been collected and submitted to the FBI.

This information includes social media posts from Elmiyah Fanaian, who describes herself as a child of Iranian immigrants. Reports indicate that her Instagram bio calls for “revolution in our lifetimes + trans liberation.”

Fanaian spoke about the Stonewall riots during an interview at the University of Utah, suggesting that violence has sometimes been necessary for LGBTQ progress. “Sometimes, you need protests and even riots to bring about change,” she remarked.

The federal investigation is ongoing regarding potential charges against Robinson and whether others may be implicated in Kirk’s murder. Meanwhile, Fanaian and Armed Queers SLC are part of the FBI’s broader inquiry, which is exploring a possible support network for Robinson during the September 10 sniper attack at Utah Valley University.

Fanaian, 25, established the Salt Lake City chapter of the Pink Pistols, a national organization aimed at empowering LGBTQ individuals through firearms in 2020. Initially, she found guns intimidating but has since changed her perspective, stating, “At the time, I would have agreed with claims that people would confiscate AR-15s, but now I own one.”

However, her relationship with the Pink Pistols was short-lived. A year later, she departed from the group, which has distanced itself from her due to her attempts to broaden its political agenda beyond the singular focus on gun safety.

Fanaian then went on to form Armed Queers SLC, where she has conducted lectures on topics like “Queer Resistance,” not far from where Kirk was shot. Flyers for these events suggested affiliations with leftist organizations, featuring imagery of armed activists.

Moreover, Fanaian has been involved in creating a student organization with a curriculum that includes figures like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. She expressed that her inspiration came from historical communists and socialist revolutionaries.

When discussing her political motivations, she emphasized the group’s stance: “The Party for Socialism and Liberation is an anti-capitalist, leftist movement focusing on working-class revolution.”