The Gays Against Guns documentary follows a New York activist group using art, humour and quiet acts of remembrance to confront gun violence. Filmed over a decade by Irish filmmaker Paul Rowley, it brings queer history and present-day organising together, offering a human perspective on a national debate that can often feel numbingly familiar.

Essential Takeaways

  • A decade in the making: Paul Rowley began filming Gays Against Guns after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.
  • Activism with a distinctive style: The group combines creative protest, humour and public memorial actions called Human Beings.
  • A personal history: The film connects gun violence prevention with LGBTQ+ rights and earlier activism around HIV and AIDS.
  • An award-winning film: It received audience awards at several festivals, including NewFest and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.
  • A powerful memorial practice: Human Beings stand silently in white veils, holding photographs and stories of people killed by gun violence.

A film that began with grief, not a plan

The Gays Against Guns documentary started with a camera, a Pride march and a community reeling from the Pulse nightclub shooting. On 12 June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at the LGBTQ+ nightclub in Orlando, making it one of the deadliest attacks on LGBTQ+ people in US history, according to the FBI.

Filmmaker Paul Rowley had been DJing in an East Village gay bar when news of the shooting broke. He joined Gays Against Guns soon afterwards, initially recording its demonstrations and making videos for the group rather than setting out to make a feature film.

That gradual beginning gives the documentary a lived-in quality. Rowley spent years working alongside the activists, and the film grew out of their conversations, performances and organising rather than a neat, pre-planned storyline. Still Films describes the project as a feature documentary about the group and its campaign against gun violence. (FBI; Still Films)

Why Gays Against Guns took ten years to film

A movement doesn't fit tidily into a weekend shoot. Rowley filmed over a decade, building trust with participants while Gays Against Guns continued its work and the wider political landscape changed around it.

The film also draws on a long history of LGBTQ+ activism. Rowley found group members whose experience stretched beyond gun violence prevention to campaigns around HIV and AIDS, ACT UP and marriage equality. That personal history helps explain why the story isn't simply about one organisation or one cause.

The timing also carries a particular emotional weight. The film was completed for 2026, ten years after the Pulse shooting. For the filmmaker, that anniversary offered a chance to remember those killed and show that the fight for change continues. (Still Films; Gays Against Guns)

Human Beings turn remembrance into a public act

Some of the film's most striking scenes centre on Gays Against Guns' Human Beings. Participants wear white veils, remain silent and hold photographs with details about people killed by gun violence. The group's website explains the practice as a way to represent those who can no longer speak for themselves.

The contrast is hard to miss: a quiet, veiled figure standing amid the rush of a busy city street. Participants learn about the person they represent beforehand, giving the action a personal focus rather than reducing someone to a name or statistic. Rowley has described taking part himself, though he often films from behind the camera.

It's a simple visual idea, but not an easy one to shrug off. Gays Against Guns pairs memorial actions with theatrical protest and humour, using different approaches to draw people into a subject many would rather turn away from. (Gays Against Guns; Still Films)

Queer history gives the documentary its wider lens

Rowley's own story connects Ireland and the United States. He moved to New York in 1993, after growing up in a country where homosexuality was illegal, and later reflected on Ireland's 2015 referendum on marriage equality. Ireland's Electoral Commission records that referendum as a vote to amend the Constitution to provide for same-sex marriage.

That personal history gives the documentary room to consider how rights can change, sometimes dramatically, over a generation. It also brings the group's activism into conversation with earlier fights for recognition and safety, without suggesting that progress is permanent or guaranteed.

For audiences, that wider frame may be part of the film's appeal. NewFest, which hosted a New York screening, lists the documentary as a story of queer activism and gun violence prevention. The result isn't just a portrait of protesters; it's also a reminder of the relationships and history that sustain them. (Electoral Commission; NewFest)

Where to find screenings and learn more

Gays Against Guns has received audience awards at multiple festivals, including NewFest, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival and Oslo Fusion, according to the filmmaker's interview. NewFest's event page offers screening information, while the film's official page and Still Films provide further details about the project.

The subject matter is heavy, but the film's approach isn't all solemnity. Its mix of art, street theatre and warmth reflects an activist group trying to make people look, listen and remember. Sometimes a clear image or a well-timed flash of humour can open a conversation that statistics alone can't.

Check the film's official pages for current screenings and updates before making plans. (NewFest; Gays Against Guns; Still Films)

A decade of filming has produced a portrait of activism built on memory, imagination and persistence.

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