Colorado gun activists reject the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposal to ban transgender individuals from owning firearms, arguing it violates constitutional rights. Following reports of the potential rule change, aimed at using mental health criteria to restrict ownership, prominent voices in the gun rights community have labeled the idea as “flagrantly illegal” and warned it could set a dangerous precedent for all Americans’ liberties.
The backlash comes after a mass shooting in Minneapolis, where a transgender woman was identified as the perpetrator, igniting a narrative of violence associated with transgender individuals. However, experts emphasize that shootings by trans people are rare compared to overall mass shootings in the U.S., with a conservative academic noting that any ban would likely fail in court due to existing federal statutes requiring a formal determination of mental fitness. This ongoing debate highlights the intersection of gun rights, public safety, and LGBTQ+ issues in a highly charged political climate.
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