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Firarms training among liberals and LGBTQ+ people is increasing.
LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and liberals are embracing their Second Amendment rights.
A growing number of LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and politically liberal Americans are purchasing firearms for self-defense, in a profound shift in how vulnerable communities view safety in the face of an era of political volatility.
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A new NPR report documents the experiences of liberals who once rejected gun culture but now feel compelled to arm themselves. It’s an evolution that mirrors the violence and institutional failures outlined in this year’s Advocates for Trans Equality’s “Trans Day of Remembrance Report.” Together, they paint a portrait of a country where the most marginalized no longer believe traditional systems will protect them.
Related: A devastating reality: New report finds violence and erasure ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance
For decades, American gun ownership was associated with being white, rural, and Republican. That picture is changing. Gun clubs, trainers, and researchers told NPR that liberals, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people have been buying firearms in increasing numbers for years, especially since President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection. Among the most notable indicators is the growth of the Liberal Gun Club, which now has chapters in more than 30 states and offers a space where progressives can train without stigma. Trainer David Phillips told the outlet that membership jumped fivefold since last November.
The reaction is from an increase in worry about personal safety.
That anxiety aligns with the TDOR report, which The Advocate previously covered, documenting 27 transgender or gender-nonconforming people killed between November 2024 and October, with 17 by gunfire. The majority were Black trans women, and in several cases, families’ calls for police intervention were ignored.
For some NPR interviewees, that pattern of institutional failure feels familiar. Charles, a Black physician in Maryland who grew up forbidden even from playing with squirt guns, now trains weekly with a Smith & Wesson .380. He said his fears intensified after federal authorities arrested an international student who criticized her university and forcibly removed a U.S. senator from a Homeland Security news conference. After his daughter endured racist harassment the day after Trump’s election, he said the possibility of being targeted “is not out of the question any longer.”
Related: Jesse Watters calls LGBTQ+ people 'nuts' for buying guns ahead of Trump's second term
TDOR’s findings reflect similar concerns: trans people’s distrust of law enforcement is widespread, with 62 percent of survey respondents reporting discomfort seeking police assistance. Federal efforts to remove LGBTQ+ data, shut down gender-related research, and ratchet up anti-trans rhetoric, the report argues, have deepened both symbolic and material vulnerability.
NPR also found evidence of a broader cultural shift. Training requests in liberal gun groups have surged. The San Francisco chapter of the Pink Pistols, whose motto is “Armed gays don’t get bashed,” reported unprecedented interest. Even traditional gun rights organizations have seen that more liberals are seeking instruction.
The White House dismissed NPR’s findings, blaming Democrats for political violence. But liberals interviewed said it is the administration’s dehumanizing language, describing undocumented immigrants as “poisoning the blood of our country” and opponents as “radical left thugs” who “live like vermin,” that fuels their fear.
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