The debate over whether transgender individuals should be allowed to own and operate firearms in the U.S. has intensified in recent years, pitting Second Amendment rights against concerns about public safety and mental health.
Proponents of restrictions argue that transgender people, particularly those experiencing gender dysphoria, may pose elevated risks due to perceived mental instability, while opponents view such measures as discriminatory and unconstitutional, noting that transgender individuals are far more likely to be victims of gun violence than perpetrators. Data from organizations like the Gun Violence Archive and the Violence Prevention Project indicate that transgender shooters account for less than 1% of mass shootings, with their representation in the population being around 1%.
Recent events have fueled calls for bans, including the August 27, 2025, mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where 23-year-old transgender woman Robin Westman killed two children and injured 18 others, leaving behind writings that highlighted her fascination with mass shooters. Earlier incidents, such as the 2023 Nashville Covenant School shooting by transgender individual Audrey Hale, who killed six people, and the 2022 Colorado Springs Club Q nightclub attack by nonbinary shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich, resulting in five deaths, have been cited by critics as evidence of a pattern warranting firearm restrictions. The 2019 Denver charter school shooting by transgender teenager Alec McKinney and the 2018 Aberdeen Rite Aid incident involving transgender perpetrator Snochia Moseley have also been referenced in discussions.
We want to ask you, the reader: should transgender individuals be allowed to own firearms? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on the proposal to ban ownership for transgender individuals.
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