The National Rifle Association (NRA) has issued a strong statement in opposition to proposed restrictions on transgender individuals’ ability to purchase firearms, as the Trump administration is reportedly considering measures to address the recent mass shooting by a transgender person at Annunciation School, where two people were killed and 18 others injured. The NRA, which claims five million members, emphasized its steadfast commitment to the Second Amendment, warning against any policies that would arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their rights without due process. This comes at a time when the Department of Justice (DOJ) is said to be holding internal discussions on limiting access to firearms for transgender people, in the wake of the Annunciation School shooting, where the victim had legally purchased his firearms beforehand, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement released on Friday, the NRA reaffirmed its support for the rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase and use firearms, stating that it does not support any policy proposals that would implement sweeping gun bans without due process. This aligns with the position taken by the Gun Owners of America (GOA), which has also expressed its outright opposition to any and all gun bans, with its senior vice president, Erich Pratt, emphasizing that it is non-negotiable to support the right of all individuals to keep and bear arms. Meanwhile, the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) has not yet made an official comment, but its president, Dudley Brown, has also voiced opposition to the proposed restrictions, arguing that such actions could be seen as due-process violations if they label people as ‘mentally defective.’
The DOJ’s conversations on this issue are in an early stage, with no concrete steps having been taken, according to sources cited by Fox News. One source suggested that the DOJ is examining a ‘pattern’ of shootings carried out by transgender individuals, including the Annunciation School case, as well as earlier incidents like the 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, carried out by Audrey ‘Aiden’ Hale, and the STEM School attack in Colorado, where two shooters, including an identified transgender teen, left one dead and eight injured. These incidents have prompted legal discussions within the DOJ to find a feasible framework that could lead to restrictions on transgender individuals from purchasing or owning guns, with the Office of Legal Counsel and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) being involved in these discussions. However, a DOJ spokesperson has downplayed the specific targeting of transgender individuals, stating that the department is examining ‘numerous options’ to address the correlation between shootings and mental health, but has not advanced any specific proposals at this point.
The proposed measures to restrict firearm access for individuals with mental health challenges—particularly those with gender dysphoria—have been met with criticism from LGBTQ advocates, who argue that such a ban would be misguided and based on misleading statistics. They emphasize that transgender individuals are less than 2 percent of the overall population but are four times as likely to be victims of crime compared to the general population. GLAAD, a LGBTQ advocacy group, has called the notion of a ban ‘misguided and dangerous,’ stating that the vast majority of United States mass shootings are carried out by men, not transgender people. They argue that leaders should prioritize the safety and freedom of all individuals, advocating for policies that protect everyone from violence and discrimination.
In addition to the proposed restrictions on firearm access, the Trump administration has continued its broader agenda on transgender issues, including the removal of transgender individuals from military service, the scrubbing of mentions of LGBTQ individuals from federal websites, and efforts to bar transgender individuals from changing the sex marker on passports. The administration has also taken a firm stance against allowing biological males to compete in female sports and has attempted to curtail access to so-called gender-affirming care. As the debate over firearm access and transgender rights continues, the issue remains a contentious point of discussion in the political landscape, reflecting ongoing tensions over individual rights, public safety, and civil liberties.