Gun Ban Proposal Targets Gender Dysphoria

A Fox News host just ignited a firestorm by suggesting that people diagnosed with gender dysphoria should be barred from gun ownership, raising a question that cuts straight to the heart of Second Amendment rights, mental health policy, and identity politics in America.

Story Snapshot

Lawrence Jones proposed banning individuals with gender dysphoria from owning guns during a February 17, 2026 Fox News segment following a deadly Rhode Island shooting
The Rhode Island shooter had undergone gender-affirming surgery and killed two family members during a domestic dispute at a high school hockey game
Violence Prevention Project data reveals 98% of mass shooters are cisgender men, contradicting focus on transgender individuals
The NRA previously opposed Trump administration efforts to restrict trans gun ownership, citing Second Amendment protections
Federal firearm forms currently prohibit purchases based on mental adjudication or commitment, not gender identity diagnoses

The Shooting That Sparked a National Debate

Robert Dorgan walked into Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on February 16, 2026, and shattered multiple lives during what should have been a celebratory senior night hockey game. The 56-year-old, who had undergone gender-affirming surgery around 2020 and also went by Roberta Esposito, killed his ex-wife Rhonda and their 23-year-old son Aidan before turning the gun on himself. Three other family members sustained injuries. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed investigators found no prior violence indicators, characterizing the massacre as stemming from domestic disputes that festered after Dorgan’s transition and subsequent divorce.

The tragedy’s live-streamed horror magnified its impact, but what happened next shifted the conversation entirely. Just one day later, Lawrence Jones used his Fox News platform on The Five to argue for gun restrictions targeting a specific population. His comments drew a clear line between what he called casual gender expression and those who, from his perspective, genuinely believe they are a different sex, suggesting the latter represents a mental health condition requiring disclosure on federal firearm forms.

Where Federal Law Actually Stands on Mental Health and Guns

Jones referenced ATF Form 4473, the federal background check document every gun purchaser completes. The form includes a question about mental health, but here’s what critics of Jones’ position emphasize: current law prohibits firearm purchases only by individuals who have been adjudicated as mentally defective or involuntarily committed to psychiatric facilities. Gender dysphoria, the clinical diagnosis describing distress from misalignment between gender identity and assigned sex at birth, does not automatically trigger these prohibitions. Major medical organizations classify gender dysphoria narrowly and do not categorize it as a disqualifying mental disorder for constitutional rights.

The Trump administration’s Justice Department tested these waters in 2025 after a Minneapolis church shooting by a trans woman named Robin Westman. Federal officials floated proposals to bar transgender individuals from gun ownership, but faced immediate pushback from an unexpected source: the NRA. The nation’s most powerful gun rights organization prioritized Second Amendment protections over identity-based restrictions, effectively killing the initiative before it gained momentum. This episode revealed a fault line within conservative coalitions, where gun rights absolutism clashed with concerns about specific populations.

The Numbers Tell a Different Story

Data from the Violence Prevention Project presents a stubborn reality that complicates Jones’ argument: cisgender men commit approximately 98% of mass shootings in America. This overwhelming statistical pattern raises legitimate questions about why policy discussions focus on transgender individuals who represent a tiny fraction of gun violence perpetrators. Critics argue this misdirection serves rhetorical purposes rather than public safety goals, especially when domestic violence indicators, substance abuse history, and prior threatening behavior prove far more predictive of future violence than gender identity.

Jones made efforts to clarify his position, distinguishing between people who casually cross-dress and those diagnosed with gender dysphoria who seek medical transition. His argument hinges on psychological evaluation and diagnosis, not mere gender expression. From his Texas constitutional carry perspective, he sees inconsistency in Democrats advocating for extensive gun restrictions while avoiding discussions about mental health diagnoses that might include gender dysphoria. Yet this framing sidesteps how medical consensus defines mental illness and what legitimately constitutes disqualifying conditions under constitutional scrutiny.

Constitutional Realities and Legal Hurdles

Legal experts studying potential transgender-specific gun restrictions identify substantial constitutional obstacles. Any policy targeting individuals based on identity rather than behavior faces strict scrutiny under equal protection principles. Second Amendment jurisprudence has expanded gun rights protections significantly in recent decades, making categorical bans based on medical diagnoses unrelated to dangerousness highly vulnerable to legal challenge. Courts would likely demand compelling evidence that gender dysphoria itself predicts violence, evidence that comprehensive data actively contradicts.

Fox News host says 'transgender' people should not be able to own guns in wake of deadly shootings – LifeSite https://t.co/xWqXgOfqsl

— Trevor Gough (@treego14) February 21, 2026

The Dorgan case itself illustrates why identity-based restrictions miss the mark. Police found no prior warnings, but domestic violence red flags existed throughout the deteriorating family situation following the divorce. February 15, 2026, just one day before the shooting, Dorgan defended transgender rights online against actor Kevin Sorbo’s comments about Representative Sarah McBride. This suggests someone engaged with trans advocacy, yet motivated by personal family turmoil rather than identity-related mental instability. Effective threat assessment focuses on behavioral patterns, escalating conflicts, and explicit warnings rather than demographic categories that cast suspicion on entire populations based on characteristics unrelated to actual danger.