Meet Ermiya Fanaeian: FBI Examines Founder of Far-Left, Pro-Gun Trans Group 'Armed Queers SLC' Tied to Tyler Robinson

US Federal investigators are examining Ermiya Fanaeian, the activist who founded Armed Queers SLC, amid concerns her organisation may have indirect ties to Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative figure Charlie Kirk.

The New York Post reports that while Armed Queers SLC's online presence has mainly been erased since the 10 September attack, open-source material provided to the FBI shows Fanaeian previously endorsed violent resistance as a tool for LGBTQ activism.

Their data includes posts from Fanaeian, who advocates for violence to achieve the goals of LGBTQ groups.

Ermiya Fanaeian's Background

A child of Iranian immigrants, Fanaeian's activity in the political landscape was first made public in April 2019. She joined former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren onstage during a campaign event in Salt Lake City.

She also founded the local chapter of March for Our Lives, David Hogg's group, which lobbied to restrict gun rights. However, she made an extreme pivot just a year later.

Ermiya Fanaeian started the Salt Lake City chapter of Pink Pistols, an organisation aiming to 'arm LGBTQ people'. At the time, Fanaeian spoke with KUER, a Utah-based media outlet.

Fanaeian told KUER 'she used to think guns were a scary thing,' and 'Back then, I would have agreed with Joe Biden's assertion to take everyone's AR-15s away. And now I own one'.

In 2021, Fanaeian, then a student at the University of Utah, left the group. Still, Fanaeian was able to earn a '7 for 17' award by herself through 'gender equality' in 2022.

This was given by the Utah Global Diplomacy, a nonprofit that worked with the State Department. The award was given through her efforts to 'promote citizen diplomacy and international exchange in Utah'.

At the time of writing, Pink Pistols is currently rejecting any connections to the former chapter leader. The organisation claims that she used their name to promote broader political issues.

The group added that they are a single-issue organisation dedicated to promoting safe, legal, and responsible firearm use within the queer community.

Founding Armed Queers SLC

In September 2023, Fanaeian founded Armed Queers SLC at the University of Utah. Upon going public, the 'leftist student organisation' hosted a lecture on 'queer resistance'.

Ermiya Fanaeian is described as a 'trans liberation and feminist political organiser'. Her work includes working with the ACLU to secure trans youth rights in the education system, studying the conditions of gender oppressed people at the hands of state institutions, and more.

Notably, she has also advocated for violence to achieve the goals of LGBTQ groups. In one instance, she cited the Stonewall Riots as an example during an interview at the University of Utah.

She said that violence, protest, riots, and loud rebellions must occur for 'tangible change'.

FBI Scrutiny After Kirk Shooting

Fanaeian and Armed Queers SLC have incurred the attention of the FBI. The agency took notice of a potential 'extended network' that could have aided Robinson's sniper attack on Charlie Kirk.

The New York Post reported that a State Department official is working through Robinson's indirect ties to the organisation. The official also added that they're taking aggressive action to ensure that any implementor with any relationship whatsoever to this radical organisation is wholly cut off from any State Department engagement.

It's still up in the air whether the charges are solely on Robinson or not. At the moment, the FBI is working on determining if anyone else was involved in Kirk's murder on 10 September.

Wider Implications

The probe highlights growing tension between political activism, free speech protections, and law enforcement scrutiny in cases of extremist-linked violence.

Whether Armed Queers SLC or its founder face direct legal consequences will depend on the FBI's findings on Robinson's connections and potential collaborators.