The Department of Justice is reviewing possible steps to restrict firearms access for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria, officials familiar with internal discussions told Newsmax exclusively Thursday.
Gender dysphoria is recognized in medical literature as a conflict between one’s birth sex and gender identity.
DOJ officials say a recent series of shootings involving individuals reportedly struggling with gender identity has prompted the department to examine whether new safeguards are needed.
A DOJ source told Newsmax that Democrats have long pressed for "common sense" gun control, adding: "This seems pretty common sense to me."
According to the source, multiple internal meetings have been held on potential approaches, including whether to bar transgender individuals from purchasing or owning firearms while deemed "unstable and unwell."
Officials are considering whether such restrictions could be implemented through executive action, though no final decision has been reached.
"I'm not going to tell the Minnesota lawmakers or the governor exactly how they should respond to this tragedy," Vice President JD Vance said during his Wednesday visit to mourn the children victims, 8 and 10, of the Minneapolis transgender mass shooter.
"There's a strong desire from across the political spectrum to do something so that these shootings are less common."
The debate potentially positions Democrats desirous of gun control against conservatives supportive of constitutionally endowed gun rights, forcing Democrats supportive of transgender rights to defend gun rights.
Nearly 1 million people — approximately 0.3% of the U.S. population — identify as transgender, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to a 2023 Gallup survey, about 32% of U.S. adults report personally owning a firearm, while a larger share — 44% — say they live in a household where at least one firearm is present.
There currently is no government-published data on the percentage of gun owners who identify as transgender in the U.S., and none of the CDC, FBI, ATF, or any other federal agency reports information that combines gender identity with firearm ownership status.
Gun ownership data in the U.S. is tracked via surveys like Gallup or Pew Research — but these gather information by sex, age, or political affiliation — not by transgender or LGBTQ+ identity.
CDC and similar federal health surveys collect data on transgender identity — primarily in contexts like youth behavior or health disparities — but they do not include corresponding data on gun ownership.
Non-governmental organizations and media outlets report rising gun interest among trans individuals — as seen in trending stories and community group reports — but these are anecdotal and not supported by formal, government-backed statistics.
Researchers at institutions including UCLA's Williams Institute are beginning to explore patterns related to gun violence and ownership among LGBTQ people.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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