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The queer people who are buying guns to prepare for Trump’s America
(www.inquirer.com)
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this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2026
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At some point it just becomes "try to only point your security blanket at yourself, I guess" levels of helplessness.
But to anyone considering buying a gun:
Owing a firearm makes you (as of 2020) 8-35x more likely to kill yourself with it https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/handgun-ownership-associated-with-much-higher-suicide-risk.html. And considering this is a purchase during a... let's just say "immensely stressful" period... yeah.
But also... what purpose does it serve? A single ice nazi comes knocking on your door, you spot them through the peephole, and have time to grab your gun, load it, and fire through the door? Then... you flee Everything in the hopes that the cops don't decide to label you a "cop killer" on top of that?
This is why gun nuts make their entire lives built around "systems" to always carry a gun and be able to quick draw. Because the reality is... whoever shoots somewhat accurately first probably "wins". Which leads to "Well... maybe that phone in their pocket they weren't even reaching for is a gun. I am legally justified"
But that also basically works for only the first few people to try it. Everyone else gets a squad of ice nazis either kicking down the door and flashbanging them (and themselves) or just unloading on the house from the curb.
I realize the world is scary. I am scared shitless more often than not. But think through what buying a gun can even accomplish versus all the risks.
Because "If I can't protect myself, who will" is a very valid question... but... the sad reality is that none of us (alone) can protect ourselves. This is WHY republicans and the like are so pro-gun. They know that a "well armed militia" hasn't been able to do shit for decades.
And maybe consider reaching out to your local community organizers to figure out what CAN be accomplished.
Next you are going to tell us that buying a firearm with threaded barrel is a scary feature and should be banned like WA state has already done.
Then kindly stay out of the way of those that do carry.
Not to diminish your comment, but this research is tautologically flawed:
I mean… obviously? I bet sailors get bit by sharks more than Great Plains farmers. This is the wrong denominator — they should be looking at all cause mortality and all types of suicide in gun owners vs others.
I definitely do believe owning a gun would have a higher suicide rate by making it more convenient to use the gun in a moment of weakness/impulse.
That article brutalizes the original research for a scarier popping headline.
From the actual paper, the important bit:
This is the interesting bit for me. If you remove people buying a gun for purpose of suicide, all cause mortality is the same, which indicates that purchase of a gun for suicide is a relatively small proportion of all gun owners.
Also important to note: this type of statistic does not differentiate no difference from not enough data to say there’s a difference, which is important. P value/frequentist statistics cannot say no effect, ever.
A firearm is not a good solution to anything. It's a tool of last resort. If i believe I, or some one I love is going to die. At that point, i don't care if i can beat the military, or if im labeled a cop killer because the alternative is Im dead. This isn't about being a hero, this isn't about saving my neighborhood or my country, this isn't about beating the military. Owning and carrying a firearm is about giving yourself one last option when all else fails. When you know you will die without it, may as well have the chance to do something.
Firearms also work as a deterrent. They are a show of force. Without it, the government has a monopoly on violence. Cops, ICE, the military, whoever. When they are they only ones with the ability to do that, we will always be under their thumb.
I'm not saying we should be resorting to violence unless there is absolutely no other choice. The very last thing i want is a shootout or fight with any government agency. I will not win that fight. But I would rather die standing and fighting then die on my knees.
I strongly believe that it is everyone's responsibility to do their best to protect themselves and those they love. Go exercise. Go learn martial arts. go learn how to shoot. Not because you plan to use violence, but so when violence is used on you, you are not helpless.
I'm not going to point out the flaws in your statistics. Someone else already did that.