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

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.

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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