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I used to be a gun salesman at a huge destination store. I remember us selling hundreds of guns a day when Clinton was running for President. I'm also a leftist, which was very unusual for a gun salesman.
One time, we had a trans woman come in, and some of the other salesmen started snickering, but I went right up to her. We started talking about what she was looking for, and it turned out she was pretty knowledgeable, as she'd served in the Marines pre-transition. She was looking for a target pistol, and I found a used CZ-75 Shadow in the back and she was super happy with it. We were talking during the background check and checkout process, and she opened up that people had treated her like an outcast at the range and at her church, and I told her about a place I would shoot that was less-Republican, and I even talked to her about the university church I used to work for that had trans people on staff and hosted the annual transgender day of remembrance and told her that there were kind people out there.
Some of the other sales guys spent the whole time snickering, but I didn't care. My managers were thrilled because I was selling to someone that everyone else was ignoring.
The next week she came in with a few trans friends. They were looking for me because they were interested in getting into shooting but didn't want to feel judged. There were a few "Chilie's got some more girlfriends" jokes, but I sold a few more guns.l to people who would end up getting more into the hobby.
Over time, more and more queer people would come in, but I wasn't always there, or I'd be with another customer, so the other salespeople would end up having to help them, and it started to click that they were just people. Eventually, I got promoted away from the department, and I eventually left the store for a real career, but I got to watch the store become a kind of destination shop for queer folk looking for guns. And more remarkably, I saw some pretty hard-core right wing people open their minds a bit.
I'm not going to claim miracles, but the department probably went from 90% anti-trans to like 40%, which isn't amazing, but is a huge improvement. I'm still a little proud that I was able to help start that trend, and I still have left-leaning friends ask me gun advice, or ask me to teach them and their kids about firearm safety even if they hate guns.
You'd be surprised at the number of folks who've never actually talked to a trans person and only know them through the alt rights propaganda of them.
I met my first trans friend through tabletop RPG and it was pretty clear after a pretty short time that they were a genuinely good person and I was an ass. I very quickly came to value them. It wasn't as cut and dry as all that as I most definitely had to rethink my (shitty) view of the world. But they are one of my two best friends, and of the two the most trustworthy and reliable.
I guess all I'm saying is, once they're welcome in a space, it's easy to see that they're just people. Pretty sure we all know that here, but the same cannot be said for those outside our circle of lemmings. I'm happy to see a greater example of my experience in your story.
Based and pro LGBTQ Pilled
that's not the way I expected that to go
thank you for sharing. genuinely
I fucking love you. Keep up the good work. Check in on your neighbors, organize if you can.