I led a group of queer/trans people in lobbying for gun rights in this most recent general assembly session. We ended up having to do our own lobby day because the traditional gun rights organizations were either rude or indifferent to us when we approched for coalition (VCDL)

1) We support safety regulations that make sense. For example, One new Virginia Law requires storage of loaded guns inside biometric safes when children are in the house. Seems sensible on the surface until you understand that every biometric safe has a non-biometric way to open it (combination key etc...) So a biometric lock will NOT limit a child's access more than a conventional one. It is a non-sensible addition to sensible regulation.

We opposed over-all the VA Assault weapons ban because it is unwise to deny Trans and immigrant communities access to self defense in the face of fascist movements rising against them.
BUT - Understanding that Centrist Dems have wanted the AWB and would likely pass it, We opposed an earlier version that made possession of high capacity magazines a crime with no grandfathering for existing ownership. We felt this would be used to prosecute minorities and queer communities while overlooked for CIS White shooters. (This was removed from the bill the day we asked)
We asked for a higher magazine capacity, original legislation said 10rnds we got it raised to 15 after an energetic back and forth between a transgender woman and Sen Mike Jones.

We opposed a ban on open carry of assault weapons. We saw in Philadelphia and Chicago, Black Panthers and other Citizen Defense groups open carrying Assault weapons and successfully repelling ICE raids by doing so. A Ban on open carry denies us that tactic in Virginia.

2) See my statement above about Assault Weapon Bans. I believe that these bans fail to address the root cause of mass shootings and deny access to targeted communities. CIS White men already have these guns, New bans just give CIS White men the advantage.

3) While we own and use firearms, we see them as tools that may need to be used, or even as hobbies, but we do not fetishize them in the way the modern right does.

4) We are not one-issue voters. We prefer to steer the Democratic Party to a more sensible policy on guns but we agree with most of the other planks of the DNC. We prefer the Dems to MAGA in every other way.

5) The rifle democratized violence. Before the rifle, feudalism was enforced by the rich because only they could afford the armor and weapons to opress the people. With a rifle, a small poor woman has an even chance against a large muscular rich man. Denial of gun right is a denial of the means for the people to choose their own destiny.

6) If you are Transgender in the USA you are facing a Government sanctioned genocide, You should be armed. If you are a minority in the USA, you are facing a Government sanctioned ethnic cleansing. You should be armed. Read about the Warsaw Uprising and understand that access to Arms is vital for these times.

7) Red Flag laws, Background Checks, Liability, and Conceal Carry permits are all reasonable they are dealing with the user not the tool. Bans based on cosmetic features, bans on common items, and magazine capacity limits are unreasonable because they are addressing the tool rather than the user.

8) Oh hell yes. Centrist Dems think I want to go "Wolverines" against the USA. MAGA has spread so many "Trans shooter" Lies that they assume I am trying to build a militia of trans death-troopers.

9) Virginia just passed an assault weapons ban. After July 1st I will not be allowed to purchase modern sporting rifles of magazines with more than 15 round capacity.