Newsflash! Keep reading for the latest anti-LGBTQ+ madness coming down the pike! In a time when our identities are routinely being weaponized against us, once again the transgender community is being unjustly targeted with proposed legislation. This time, the bullet in the gun is Gender Dysphoria. 

As of last month, the most recently used excuse for hate and/or phobic driven rhetoric is: A Minneapolis school shooting with a shooter – Robin Westman (who took the life of two children and injured approximately 17 others) was identified as a transgender woman. And Boom! Just like that – legislation is being proposed to strip the trans community of not having the right to own weapons – in addition to the new reinstatement of being disallowed in the military. 

Are you still following? Allow us to make it plain – if you are trans, you must have Gender Dysphoria, a mental health disorder that does not make it safe for you to own, carry or operate a weapon. 

But what actually is Gender Dysphoria? 

According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary – gender dysphoria is a distressed state arising from conflict between a person’s gender identity and the sex the person was identified as having at birth. 

From a more clinical point of view The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) – the same reference book that once listed homosexuality under “sociopathic personality disturbance” [in its first edition in 1952; but removed it in 1973] currently lists the following criteria for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria:

A strong desire to be of the other gender or an insistence that one is the other gender.

A strong desire to have the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other gender.

A strong desire to be treated as the other gender.

A marked incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed gender and their assigned gender, lasting for at least six months.

The distress or impairment must not be attributable to other mental disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder or gender identity disorder (which was previously used in the DSM-IV).

The DSM-5 does not specify a minimum age for diagnosis, but it has generally been considered appropriate for children who exhibit consistent and persistent gender-incongruent behavior. However, it’s important to note that the DSM-5 is currently under revision. It is possible that the criteria for gender dysphoria may be changed, or the condition may be removed from the manual altogether.

Now, back to the weaponizing of the term with the recently (unofficially) proposed legislation we hinted at in the beginning of this article. Currently, the U.S. military has banned transgender people from enlisting or serving openly since President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14183 on Jan. 27, 2025. This policy reversed a previous order by President Joe Biden that allowed open service. Regarding how those second amendment rights apply to our trans community, there’s no legislation currently in place. However, and as you might imagine: The premise to pushing for such a law is to utilize existing laws that prohibit folks who are deemed mentally “defective” from owning guns. Simply stated, the idea is to argue that all transgender individuals have gender dysphoria, a diagnosis that would qualify as a mental defect; making it unsafe for such individuals to own, posses and/or carry a gun.  

Interestingly, a huge contingent of the conservative right is vehemently opposed to the idea of restricting trans citizens from owning and carrying firearms. In response to reports that officials in the Department of Justice were holding internal discussions about the matter, The National Rifle Association (NRA) has publicly stated its opposition to any blanket ban that would prevent transgender people from owning firearms. Earlier this month, the NRA issued a statement asserting that it will not support policies that “arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”

That being said, reactions have been mixed, with LGBTQ+, allies and cisgender heterosexual community members either agreeing, disagreeing or having mixed feelings on how a gender dysphoria diagnosis might be used to further oppress and discriminate against trans community members and whether or not it’s all necessary or ethical. 

In an effort to gain greater perspective, Qnotes spoke with a few local trans community members and health care professionals about the issue. 

Aly Jamison, a Black trans woman and professional dog groomer, talked about her experience with a gender dysphoria diagnosis. “I had it [gender dysphoria] at the beginning of my transition. However, as I blossomed, I grew to love the woman I am today unapologetically.” She went on to comment on the proposed legislation, “It is complete poppycock!” 

For Troy Aikens, a life coach and community advocate who also happens to be a trans man, gender dysphoria is something he admittedly lives daily. When thinking about the recent push to use the diagnosis framed as a “defect” that should prevent the trans community from purchasing firearms, Aikens had thoughts to share. 

“I’m not shocked, but appalled and dismayed by this recent mindset. Dysphoria has nothing to do with our ability to serve in the military or own a weapon.” 

Aikens continued: “This line of thinking has me questioning [the lack of push-back] regarding white males being allowed to own guns at all. This administration is paranoid, privileged and prejudiced towards anything non-cisgender, heterosexual and white male. In my opinion [they] are out of their political minds!” 

Aikens has been living authentically for 21 years. He is fortunate to have an affirming community and a loving and supportive wife who keeps him afloat in the midst of all the madness. 

Knowing that everyone’s lived experience is as individual as the person having them, we also wanted to make space for health care professionals who affirm, support and care for members of our trans community. 

Holly Savoy, PhD, is a psychologist and executive director of Charlotte Trans Health, a collective of multidisciplinary healthcare providers committed to a mission to reduce health and healthcare disparities for the trans community.  

“Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria and being trans is not a mental illness,” Savoy explained. “Being transgender is not a disorder – it’s an authentic expression of self and misrepresenting it as instability is both dangerous and discriminatory.” 

She went on to say what many folks are already thinking, whispering or even yelling; sentiments Aikens queried and rebuked. “Data shows that less than 0.1 percent of U.S. mass shootings in the past decade have been committed by trans people, whereas the overwhelming majority (over 97 percent) were carried out by cisgender men.” 

Savoy cautioned, “Attempts to use identities as grounds to strip away rights – like the right to own firearms – are rooted in prejudice, not science. Public safety should be informed by evidence, not stigma and targeting trans people only fuels misinformation and discrimination. The real crisis isn’t trans identities; it’s a system that protects those most likely to harm them.” 

So, where do we go from here? After all, right now it’s all just talk, or is it? Reverend Sonja Lee, Founder and Director of Lionel Lee Jr. Wellness Center (which publishes Transparent Magazine) left us with this: “In a climate of rising anti-transgender violence and legislation, the right to bear arms is essential for the safety and protection of transgender individuals who, as we know, are disproportionately targeted for hate crimes. I call upon transgender allies and social justice advocates to stand in solidarity with the trans community to oppose any effort that would strip them of their Second Amendment rights. We must vote every time the polls open. We must develop and implement strategies to retain the rights of all transgender individuals.”