A few days into Trump’s renewed presidency, Ashley Parten, a 38-year-old Black bisexual woman from Georgia, recalled a chilling moment from his first term.
While filling her gas tank in Charleston, South Carolina, a white man in a red MAGA hat shoved her against the pump and sneered, “Your N-word president can’t protect you anymore—this is Trump country.” Shaken but resolute, she elbowed the man, jumped into her car, and sped off.
Now, years later, the fear lingers, and Parten finds herself arming for self-defense, mirroring the growing trend among women and LGBTQ+ individuals turning to firearms amid escalating threats.
Rising fears
The 2024 election campaign was marked by anti-trans rhetoric and misogyny, themes that have only intensified since Trump’s victory.
After the election, Ashley purchased stun guns for herself and her family and plans to buy a handgun after completing firearms training. “We all feel the need to make sure we’re aware of our surroundings and protect ourselves,” she told The Guardian.
The fears of many marginalized individuals stem from both rhetoric and real-life encounters.
Parten recalled a 2016 incident when a man in a MAGA hat physically assaulted her at a gas station, declaring, “It’s Trump country.” Similar sentiments have been amplified in the current climate, with Republican leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson targeting figures like Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, and Trump’s campaign promising policies against gender-affirming care and women’s reproductive rights.
For many, self-defense has become a practical necessity.
Tom Nguyen, founder of LA Progressive Shooters, a gun club catering to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members, said his courses are fully booked through mid-2025. “It’s been massively overwhelming,” Nguyen noted, adding that the demand has been the highest he’s seen in years.
Progressive gun groups like the Liberal Gun Club and Pink Pistols report an unprecedented influx of new members, many of whom are women, queer, or trans individuals.
Lara Smith, spokesperson for the Liberal Gun Club, said they’ve received thousands of membership requests since the election, with one instructor in Wisconsin training over 100 members in recent weeks.
Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, has also observed a surge in firearms class enrollments, primarily from women and LGBTQ+ individuals worried about civil unrest and personal safety.
Cargill, a Black gay Republican, explained that politically motivated gun sales have long been a response to fears about leadership changes.
This uptick mirrors historical patterns; for example, Barack Obama’s 2008 election led to sustained gun sales as conservatives prepared for perceived restrictions. Now, the tables have turned, with marginalized groups driving the trend amid growing threats.
A double-edged sword
While many view firearms as a means of empowerment, experts caution against overreliance on guns for self-defense.
Research from Harvard University reveals that defensive gun use is rare, and a meta-analysis by the University of California, San Francisco found that women with firearms access are three times more likely to be killed.
Tacticool Girlfriend, a trans YouTuber with over 62,000 subscribers, echoed these concerns. She urged potential buyers to prioritize other self-defense methods like martial arts and pepper spray, emphasizing that gun ownership requires significant time, money, and training. “If you can’t dry-fire weekly and hit the range monthly, you’re likely a liability,” she warned.
Nevertheless, for individuals like Jessie McGrath, a 63-year-old trans woman and former Republican, the growing hostility necessitates taking precautions.
A veteran and prosecutor, McGrath plans to introduce her friends to shooting during her next visit to Nebraska. “I’ve seen a huge uptick in women who don’t like guns but are thinking about training,” she noted, underscoring the heightened fear among marginalized communities.
