Recoil Magazine Addresses Controversy Over LGBT Advocate, 'Top Shot' Winner Chris Cheng Cover

Bryan Ke
·2 min read
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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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A post shared by RECOIL Magazine (Official) (@recoilmagazine)





  • Many expressed negative reactions to Cheng’s rainbow-colored American flag.



  • Days after the controversy, Recoil Magazine addressed the issue on social media.

  • The magazine said they were "taken aback" by the reactions to the cover and "maintained" the Second Amendment was for all U.S. citizens.

  • "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.

  • 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.

  • His father taught him the basics of firearm safety and handling at age 6. This activity went on once every three to four years.

  • 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."

  • 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."

  • 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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