The Pink Panthers

The Pink Panthers Patrol (often shortened to Pink Panthers) were a civilian patrol group based in New York City, founded by members of Queer Nation in the summer of 1990 in order to combat anti-LGBT violence in Manhattan's West Village.^[1][2] Gay bashings in New York City were happening on the streets with regularity at the time.^[3] The organization's logo was the pink triangle with a paw print in it.^[3]

Gerri Wells founded the organization.^[3] It recruited about 150 members shortly after its establishment.^[3] The members would organize into groups to do foot patrols in gay areas.^[3] These patrols would carry whistles to scare off assailants, and some groups carried citizens band radios to call for help.^[3] If necessary they would seek police support.^[3] In case of an attack, they would intervene to protect the victim.^[3] Wells explained that there was a public perception that people could physically assault gay people without consequence, and that the gay community would no longer tolerate this behavior.^[4]

They received notoriety when they were successfully sued in 1991 by MGM Pictures, the owner of the rights to the Pink Panther cartoon.^[5] The neighborhood watch group would patrol areas that had a large number of gang assaults on LGBTQ people. In NYC, where the Pink Panthers was founded these patrols would generally be in the East and West Village. There was a number of patrols in the rambles (Central Park).^{[citation needed]}

• Black Panther Party
• White Panther Party
• Rainbow Coalition
• List of LGBT rights organisations
• Pink capitalism

• MGM-Pathe Communications v. Pink Panther Patrol, 1991 lawsuit

• lespantheresroses.org (French/ English site)