Do you really think the gun manufacturers need to troll an overall meaningless social network, posting misinformation on some random-ass meme to push their agenda?

Not really how modern astro-turfing works (its far too easy to catch). Instead, talking points are seeded and signal boosted in key communities, then left to spread organically from there.

You're welcome to believe that an industry that makes tools to kill people, that donates $16 million each year to Republicians and spends even more on legal challenges, would never stoop to the kind of sleazy tricks used by oil and tobacco industries, or companies like Microsoft and Apple, or governments like Israel's and China's.

Personally, that sounds pretty naive to me.

So why did "guns are awesome for women and the gays" suddenly become the favourite take of pro-gun groups? It definitely didn't follow a high profile event where a minority defended themselves with a gun, because there hasn't been any.

The only minority group that benefits from permissive gun laws is white supremacists.