Hannah Giles’ Sister, Regis, Loves Guns

Regis Giles, who spoke on the student activism panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, comes from a family of conserative activists. You've most likely heard of her sister, Hannah Giles, who partnered with James O'Keefe in videos that helped bring down ACORN. Her father, Doug Giles, is the host of Clash Radio and spokesperson for "family values." But Regis is branching out on her own, with a new television show in the works called "Primal Urge" in the works on the Pursuit Channel. Campus Progress caught up with Regis to talk aobut her current project, GirlsJustWannaHaveGuns.com, her upcoming television show, and why she doesn't identify as a feminist.

Tell me a little bit about your website [Girlsjustwannahaveguns.com].

My website has my logo on it. In my speech you know, it's also, my company's main objective is self defense. You've seen in the news where women have been jumped and you see the security cameras where they can't do anything. You see them shoved in their cars, ducking down. If they had a gun on them. That would've been a little bit different. If they would've had a gun on them, their life would've been a lot different. They wouldn't have that horrible experience of actually being raped or abducted or even killed. That's what my company stands for.

What inspired you to start this company?

[laughs] Um, if you knew my family you would only know. They're very active.

I saw your father, Doug Giles, speak yesterday, and I'm familiar with your sister's work on the Acorn videos.

We're very active. We're passionate about what we do and I think it's kind of a calling that God has placed on my heart and for some odd reason I'm very drawn toward guns, hunting, and all that fun stuff.

You liked hunting first and then you got into this idea of women protecting themselves?

Yeah, I mean, I got into hunting and then, I mean, the whole protection thing, I started when I was 9 years old. I practiced jujitsu at Valente Brothers in North Miami Beach for 10 years. So self defense is something I'm very passionate about. Hunting got me involved with guns and then [I got] more involved with the self-defense part of guns. It kinda just went from there. Why not start something? I've seen more and more women getting involved in the hunting industry so I want to give a little bit of push to that movement and then I want to be a leader of that movement, where women are defending themselves more with guns.

How often do you go shooting or hunting?

I go hunting quite often. Before -- because I'm starting a TV show now.

I'm gonna ask you about that in a minute.

I will. I'll tell—I'll inform you. Before my TV show, I went hunting maybe two or three times a year. And then when this hunting show started, I've been going every other week or so where it's either hunting for fishing. I'm very fortunate to actually do that because hunting—it's not cheap.

Tell me about your new show ["Primal Urge"]. How did that get started?

On one hunt that I went on in November in Texas [with] Purple Hearts veterans sponsored. … Most of the vets that come with us, they're kind of sad and not very open in the beginning, but when they're leaving, they're leaving with bright smiles on their face. So happy. A film crew was there who's very prominent in the Outdoor Channel. He filmed me hunting and he kind of pitched the idea of me to the Pursuit Channel and they trusted that man so much they said, "All right. Get her a show. Start filming footage and let's get this going." And the show's going to be called "Primal Urge."

I wanted to go back to something you said earlier about women getting abducted. I'm curious because rape and sexual assault is much more common with people you know. Statistically, you're much more likely to be raped by someone you know. Do you still think guns would help in that situation?

Yes. I would not have one problem if someone I personally knew and was very close to actually tried to force rape on me or tried to kill me. I would not have a problem pulling the trigger. If someone crosses that barrier and tries to force himself or kill you it's—as far as the rape thing goes I can defend myself. I do jujitsu. But if someone's actually coming at me at full force, trying to kill me. I don't care who you are.

Even if it's your boyfriend or husband?

[tsk] Yeah.

Earlier I heard you mention you don't identify as a feminist.

No.

Could you explain why?

I believe in gender roles. I believe women are not equal as men and I believe it should stay that way because women are very special in what they do—what they're called to do. Men are special in what they're called to do. If you just look at the way we're built, we're built in a very different way and I think that says a lot about the way we can perform. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be equal to a man. I want to be different.

Do you ever get men saying women can't shoot as well as women, things like that?

No, actually. Any shooter knows women can actually shoot better than men.

Kay Steiger is the editor of CampusProgress.org.

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