Ermiya Fanaeian isn’t just your average activist.
She’s a self-described communist, transgender activist, and the founder of a far-left armed group called “Armed Queers Salt Lake City” (AQSLC).
Now she’s facing serious scrutiny – not just from conservatives, but from federal investigators, too.
Guns, Marxism, and a Dead Conservative Voice
Fanaeian started AQSLC back in 2020 after breaking off from the Pink Pistols, another LGBTQ+ gun group that focuses on self-defense.
But AQSLC is different. It doesn’t just train members how to handle firearms.
It openly promotes Marxist-Leninist ideology and what it calls “militant self-defense” – not just against threats, but against capitalism and “fascism.”
They’ve hosted workshops alongside far-left groups like the John Brown Gun Club, whose members have been linked to violent acts, including a July 4th shooting at an ICE facility in Texas.
Fanaeian’s group also runs shooting sessions just miles from Utah Valley University – the same campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025.
While no direct link has been confirmed between AQSLC and the shooter, Tyler Robinson, the coincidence is interesting.
AQSLC wiped its social media accounts within hours of the attack. Photos, firearms training videos, and content from a recent trip to Cuba – gone.
And that Cuba trip wasn’t your average vacation.
“Proud Terrorists”: Lessons From Havana
In May 2025, Fanaeian and others traveled to Havana as part of the “May Day Brigade.”
That’s a communist solidarity trip where activists meet with Cuban officials and learn about revolution tactics.
In a now-deleted YouTube video titled “Cuba Report Back,” Fanaeian said, “If we’re terrorists, we’re proud terrorists,” and claimed Cubans told her to “go home and make your own revolution.”
This is the kind of rhetoric that worries people – especially when it’s followed by real-world violence.
Federal Investigation Underway
The FBI is now looking into whether AQSLC had foreknowledge of the shooting.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbott said there were “multiple warning signs” and suggested that the shooter may have been “aided or abetted.”
The investigation includes over 20 social media accounts connected to AQSLC’s “extended network.”
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has demanded Fanaeian’s deportation.
Others want to know why someone with ties to political violence and communist regimes was getting recognition and possibly taxpayer-funded support from groups linked to the U.S. State Department.
Government Grants and Scrubbed Profiles
Back in 2022, Fanaeian was given the “7 for 17” award by Utah Global Diplomacy for advancing United Nations goals on gender equality.
That group gets funding through State Department-aligned non-profits.
But after questions started being raised about Fanaeian’s views and actions, her profile mysteriously vanished from the group’s website.
So let’s get this straight: a self-declared communist who praised Cuba’s government, called herself a terrorist, and promotes armed resistance on U.S. soil – was honored by a group tied to federal dollars?
Nevada Conservatives on Alert
While this story is unfolding in Utah, it has implications here in Nevada.
Many in our state remember when Charlie Kirk spoke at the Conservative Leadership Conference in Las Vegas back in 2017.
His murder – at a public university – hits close to home.
Nevadans have also seen rising tensions at local drag events, school board meetings, and pro-Palestine protests.
Groups like AQSLC claim they’re standing up for oppressed people, but critics argue they’re escalating conflict and pushing dangerous ideologies.
Supporters Claim FBI Probe Is Politically Motivated
Fanaeian still has defenders.
Some on the left say she’s being unfairly targeted because of her identity and her politics.
They say the FBI’s investigation is politically motivated.
But given her own words – advocating violence and celebrating terrorism – those arguments are getting harder to defend.
Conservative watchdogs and media outlets like The Gateway Pundit and The Post Millennial are digging deeper.
Meanwhile, mainstream sources like Just the News and Washington Examiner are confirming many of the troubling details.
Radical Politics Don’t Stop at the Border
It’s one thing to speak out. It’s another thing to arm up, travel to Cuba, and call yourself a revolutionary.
Ermiya Fanaeian’s actions and the group she leads deserve serious attention.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
