'The queer people who are buying guns to prepare for Trump's America' Philidelphia Inquirer article

[kelly1mm]

'On a brisk Saturday afternoon, A. crouched in a boxer’s stance, knees bent, one hip forward, raised her new Ruger Security-380 pistol aloft with both hands, and pulled the trigger. Spent gold casings clinked to the ground as a paper plate across the range filled with bullet holes. Next to her, a row of men in sweatshirts and earmuffs affably shot their own marks.

A., who The Inquirer is identifying by the first letter of her first name because of safety concerns, is new to the world of shooting ranges and target practice. As a trans woman who lives in Philadelphia, she began seriously considering armed self-defense this summer, as she saw Texas uphold a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and Florida prohibit nurse practitioners from prescribing hormones to transgender people. She watched with increasing dread as Republicans spent nearly $215 million on network TV ads portraying people like her as a dangerous threat to the country.

“Three months before the election, that’s when the alarm bells started to ring,” A., who is 24 and speaks carefully and thoughtfully, said recently. When she mentioned wanting to learn how to fire a gun to friends, they stared at her blankly.

But she felt she couldn’t have been more rational. On Nov. 2, she bought her first gun, at Delia’s Gun Shop in Northeast Philly.'

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-queer-people-who-are-buying-guns-to-prepare-for-trump-s-america/ar-AA1x1Mm6


I do not think this article is about guns per se, but more about groups of people who have been historically underrepresented in the gun owning community and their valid (in my opinion) reasons for choosing to now own weapons and get proper training.

[tonekat]

1. Thanks for posting this

I'm interested in learning more about this around the country.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Women will needs guns too? Since raping women appears to be fine with the GOP.

[Hope22]

3. Thank you.

I’ll let my daughter know. 😢😢😥

[Irish_Dem]

9. Most of our highest level leaders are sexual predators.

What are we supposed to tell our daughters and granddaughters?

[Hope22]

10. It's not going to be pretty.

Burkas and windowless homes are not far behind. Our backs are against the wall as an army of sick males come out of hiding. Today as the house was bending over backwards to act like things were normal we passed a pickup truck on the street, young man flying an f-Ing T flag! I’ve had it full up! My friend and I gave two very visible birds to the fool. So full of himself! He can’t wait to lord it over something or someone. I hope the young women stick with each other for companionship until the males / politicians in this country come back to sanity. Anything less is too dangerous.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Yes the Taliban has placed women under house arrest in windowless rooms.

Women are not even allowed to speak to each other in the presence of males.

The GOP would love to do the same.

Women are fair game here in the US now.
Women need to be very careful, yes.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

6. Women have been a fastest growing group of gun owners for years now

In Michigan, there are numerous gun stores that hold CPL training that is specifically for women and have been doing so for years, so the demand is apparently there.

[Lovie777]

4. People are preparing for the unthinkable.....

In this country and MAGAs won’t like it.

[dalton99a]

5. Vulnerable groups under threat should be encouraged to arm themselves

and let it be known that they won't hesitate to defend themselves

[Unladen Swallow]

7. The more, the better

[ComtesseDeSpair]

8. I just got a carry permit in Minnesota

I'm a gay woman who has a lot of transwomen friends here in Minneapolis. I've always been adamantly anti-gun, but after a couple of alarming incidents here in the "safe" Twin Cities, I changed my mind and decided that I needed to have a way to protect us from Proud Boys and their ilk when we're out and about. I also hike alone a lot and would feel safer with a gun. So last month I took my 4-hour carry class, then shot a gun for the first time to pass the test to get a permit. It hasn't arrived yet but as soon as it does, I'm going out to purchase a pistol.

I took my class from a group called Sequeerity that is specifically designed to help queer people get armed. They said that women are the #1 gun buyers in the country right now. Part of me feels guilty because I've abandoned my pacifist values, but I'm not about to stand by helpless while one of my friends is beaten unconscious like what happened to two transwomen in downtown Minneapolis recently. I guess this country has crossed me over to the dark side. *shrug*

[Hope22]

11. Don't be hard on yourself.

Pacifist Mom here that never let her son have a toy gun or point his finger. People his age have now taken concealed carry, frequented shooting ranges and settled into the reality that the only answer is to be prepared! Stay safe out there! 💗🙏🏼

[kerry-is-my-prez]

18. Remember that shooting at the Pulse nightclub.

I don’t blame trans people for being scared and trying protect themselves. Guns scare the hell out of me so I don’t want any in my house but if I were at risk, I would probably change my mind. I also have the capability of really losing my temper, so I try to prevent myself from getting too overheated. When I was a kid, I used to beat up on bullies and I was a girl. Let’s just say the boys knew not to mess with me or my brother.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. oh are guns ok now or

[kelly1mm]

14. For most people including a significant portion of liberals/leftist/progressives guns have always been ok,

exactly for the reasons pointed out in the article.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

15. That...has not been what I've observed here, but okay.

[kelly1mm]

16. The differences of opinion here on DU on guns have been LEGENDARY. So heated have these discussions

become that issues about guns (especially gun control) are banished to the 'gungeon'.

It is one of those issues, like Israel/Palestine where Democrats in general, and certainly here on DU, are bitterly divided.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

19. Now, now ... let's try to be gracious here.

My only issue with the story is this:

She was reassured by the idea that “in the event of hate crimes or terrorist attacks, knowing that, ‘OK, I’m personally armed and I can protect my property and people that are close to me.’” She is applying for a concealed carry permit in Pennsylvania, though she doesn’t plan to carry the gun with her every day.

The worst misconception about having a legal firearm in your home or carried on your person is that you are now entitled to brandish it or to shoot people. You can't shoot people to protect property! I believe that's been well-established in courts all over the country.

The best info I heard in CCW training was: "If you pull out a gun, regardless of the circumstances, expect to go to jail. If you actually shoot someone, regardless of the circumstances, expect to be charged with murder or attempted murder and to be bankrupted when the person you shot or their family sues you."

[NickB79]

21. Pets are legally defined as property

Would you convict someone who used lethal force to protect their dog from an attack? I wouldn't. Just saying, there's a lot of grey in your statement.

[kelly1mm]

24. Hell no I would not convict assuming the minimum force necessary was used. Jury nullification is a real thing. nt

[OldBaldy1701E]

22. "You can't shoot people to protect property!"

But, this is America. There is nothing more valuable or more important than property.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

17. Watch the Reps start passing gun control laws.

They did have a woman who did one of these mass murders. Where I live the only actual school shooting was done by a woman.

[JoseBalow]

20. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst

[Blue_Tires]

23. I want to get one so badly

But deep down the realist in me knows I can't trust myself with guns... I get mad way too easily and stay mad for way too long. Sooner or later I'd be seeking vengeance against certain people...

[vercetti2021]

25. Trans girl with 10 guns myself

Hours upon hours of training with them. I'm confident in myself to defend my life and my family

[dutch777]

26. Sad commentary but don't blame her or folks of color for thinking this way. Just please get trained and keep the guns..

...in a safe place away from kids and where they can't accidently discharge and hurt you or others unintentionally.

[William769]

27. I got news for them.

Many of us armed ourselves back in the 80's.

Pink pistols anyone?

[JanMichael]

28. While I wish that the US wasn't a gun humping hell scape I understand.

I really get it.