The National Rifle Association has strongly opposed reported discussions within the Department of Justice about restricting transgender individuals’ access to firearms, calling the potential policy a direct threat to Second Amendment rights.
Sources indicate that officials within the DOJ have explored limitations on transgender people’s ability to purchase guns, though no formal proposals have been finalized. The conversations, described as preliminary, emerged amid broader debates over gun control and policies targeting transgender communities.
The NRA issued a statement Friday rejecting the idea of such restrictions, asserting that “the Second Amendment isn’t up for debate.” The group emphasized its commitment to protecting “the right of all law-abiding Americans to purchase, possess, and use firearms,” while condemning any measures that would “arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
A separate gun rights organization, Gun Owners of America, echoed the NRA’s stance, declaring opposition to “any and all gun bans. Full stop.”
The discussions come amid ongoing scrutiny of firearm access following incidents involving transgender individuals, including a recent shooting at a Catholic Church in Minnesota. The perpetrator, identified as Robin Westman (formerly Robert), legally purchased firearms before killing two children and injuring over a dozen others.
