more and more LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and politically Liberal Americans are buying firearms for self-defense, and views on the safety of vulnerable communities have changed dramatically in the face of a time of political instability.
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new NPR report It chronicles the experiences of liberals who once rejected gun culture but now feel compelled to take up arms. It’s an evolution that reflects the violence and systemic failures outlined in this year’s transgender equality advocacy group’s Trans Day of Remembrance Report. Together, they paint a portrait of a country where the most marginalized people no longer trust traditional institutions to protect them.
Related: A devastating reality: New report reveals violence and erasure ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance
For decades, American gun ownership has been associated with being white, redneck, and redneck. republican party. That image is changing. Gun clubs, trainers and researchers tell NPR that liberals, people of color and LGBTQ+ people have been buying more firearms for years, especially since the president. donald trump’s Re-elected in 2024. One of the most notable indicators is the growth of the Liberal Gun Club, which now has chapters in more than 30 states, providing a space for progressives to train without prejudice. Trainer David Phillips told the magazine that membership has soared fivefold since last November.
That response is due to growing concerns about personal safety.
That concern is consistent with the TDOR report. defender Previously covered, documentation 27 transgender Or, between November and October 2024, gender non-conforming people were killed, 17 of them by gunfire. The majority were black trans women, and in some cases calls by their families for police intervention were ignored.
For some of NPR’s interviewees, this pattern of systemic failure is familiar. black doctor charles maryland He grew up not even allowed to play with water guns, but now trains weekly with a Smith & Wesson .380. He said fears were heightened after federal authorities arrested an international student who criticized the university and forcibly removed a U.S. senator from a Department of Homeland Security press conference. She said the possibility of being targeted was “no longer out of the question” after her daughter endured racist harassment the day after Trump’s election.
Related: Jesse Watters slams LGBTQ+ people who buy guns ahead of President Trump’s second term as ‘crazy’
TDOR’s findings reflect similar concerns. Distrust of law enforcement among transgender people is widespread, with 62 percent of survey respondents reporting feeling uncomfortable seeking police assistance. The report argues that federal efforts to remove LGBTQ+ data, shut down gender-related research, and escalate anti-trans rhetoric further deepen symbolic and material vulnerabilities.
NPR also found evidence of a broader cultural shift. Requests for training from liberal firearms groups have surged. The San Francisco chapter of the Pink Pistols, whose motto is “No armed gays will be bashed,” has reported unprecedented interest. Even traditional gun rights groups recognize that more liberals are looking to them for guidance.
The White House rejected NPR’s findings and accused Democrats of political violence. But liberals interviewed said their fears were stoked by the administration’s dehumanizing rhetoric, which described illegal immigrants as “poisoning the blood of our country” and opponents as “radical left-wing thugs” who “live like vermin.”
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
