About Me
Bobby Perez
USCCA Certified Firearms Instructor | Range Safety Officer
Founder, Equal Defense Collective
Bobby Perez is the founder of Equal Defense Collective, a USCCA Certified Firearms Instructor, and a proud member of both the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. His journey into firearms training began not in a classroom—but in a moment of crisis.
My Story
Years ago, Bobby survived an attempted carjacking. That experience was a wake-up call—one that revealed how vulnerable he felt and how unprepared he was to protect himself or his loved ones. What followed was a personal mission to take back control of his safety, educate himself, and eventually empower others to do the same.
But as Bobby began attending firearms courses, he quickly noticed a troubling pattern: most classes were steeped in exclusionary rhetoric and didn’t reflect the diverse, inclusive values he believed in. Instead of feeling safer, he often felt out of place. So, he decided to build the kind of space he had been looking for—one where marginalized individuals could learn about firearms in an environment that’s welcoming, respectful, and empowering.
Through Equal Defense Collective, Bobby blends trauma-informed instruction with real-world safety training—providing judgment-free education to those often left out of the conversation around self-defense.
Today, Bobby is a husband, a parent to three kids (and two dogs), and a passionate advocate for accessible firearms education. His mission is simple: help people reclaim their confidence and their right to feel safe—on their terms.