Recoil admitted they were taken aback by the controversy surrounding the magazine cover draft posted on social media featuring Asian American gun enthusiast and LGBT advocate Chris Cheng.
What happened: The magazine asked its followers on Wednesday to vote for which cover they would like to see in the upcoming issue on Instagram.
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Days after the controversy, Recoil Magazine addressed the issue on social media.
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The magazine said they were “taken aback” by the reactions to the cover and “maintained” the Second Amendment was for all U.S. citizens.
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“If you’re as strong of a defender of individual Chris Cheng, we’ll put you on the cover, and let you pick your own wardrobe too,” the statement read.
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Cheng applauded the magazine on his Instagram page for taking a stand on “inclusivity and for supporting me and the gun community.”
Who is Chris Cheng: Cheng, 41, is a self-taught gun enthusiast from San Francisco. He works in IT for a Silicon Valley tech company, according to an interview with Recoil.
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His father taught him the basics of firearm safety and handling at age 6. This activity went on once every three to four years.
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Cheng won Season 4 of History Channel’s “Top Shot” in February 2012 and described himself in his audition as a “self-taught amateur who is a gay, Asian, white-collar techie.”
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He also testified in front of the U.S. Senate in March to “speak against a number of the gun control measures currently facing Congress.”
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Cheng argued guns were not the cause of “violence and hate” but “socioeconomic, low self-esteem, lack of mental health resources, lack of community, lack of educational and job opportunities, and a lack of humanity,” according to the video’s description.
Featured Image via @topshotchris (left), @recoilmagazine (right)
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