Concealed Carry Laws Make Virginia Gay Bars Safer

Back in 2006, a teenager thug “armed with a hatchet and handgun opened fire inside a New Bedford, Mass., gay bar“. Perhaps, the carnage would have been less had patrons been able to arm themselves.

Now, patrons at gay bars in another commonwealth, that of Virginia, can have greater peace of mind when they wind down.  Gun crimes have dropped at Virginia bars and restaurants after the enactment of a “new state law that allows patrons with permits to carry concealed guns into alcohol-serving businesses”:

The number of major crimes involving firearms at bars and restaurants statewide declined 5.2 percent from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, compared with the fiscal year before the law went into effect, according to crime data compiled by Virginia State Police at the newspaper’s request.

And overall, the crimes that occurred during the law’s first year were relatively minor, and few of the incidents appeared to involve gun owners with concealed-carry permits, the analysis found.

Via Instapundit.  Laws which improve the lot of all citizens also help gay citizens.  If all citizens have another tool at their disposal to protect themselves from crime, so too do gay citizens.

Here’s hoping more gay bloggers and gay organizations will take note of the success of Virginia’s law.