A group of gun-toting gay Libertarians said they were welcomed with open arms Sunday at a Seattle gay pride event.

Kevin Finger and five of his friends walked downtown carrying handguns, AR-15s and AK-47s, The Blaze reported. One sign they carried read, “Armed gays don’t get bashed.”

“We had prepared ourselves for the worst — to be yelled at, screamed at, called names, taunted, and circled. But what we didn’t expect, was how welcoming everybody would be at Seattle Pride,” Mr. Finger told The Blaze.

He said the group had concerns beforehand of what kind of reaction their firearms would provoke. He said they received a few “uneasy looks,” but “many of those looks turned into curiosity when they saw us chatting and having a good time with other event goers.”

Shannon Tahjanjoki, one of the open-carry advocates, wrote on Facebook that the guns prevented the group from entering the actual event at the Seattle Center, but they were allowed to continue demonstrating outside.

The group even took a lighthearted photo with Seattle police, The Blaze reported.

“Lots of conversations. Lots of handshakes. Lots of high-fives. Lots of hugs. It was a day to remember,” Mr. Finger said.

He said he and his friends are “steadfast Libertarians,” adding that equal marriage rights were “part of the very first Libertarian platform at the party’s inception 43 years ago,” The Blaze reported.

The group was reportedly denied participation in an Olympia gay pride parade last week due to their guns.

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