Gun violence is apparently now a women’s issue.
On Wednesday, the Senate held its first-ever hearing on domestic violence homicides and gun violence against women. Under discussion at the hearing were two laws which would limit the availability of guns for domestic abusers and convicted stalkers.
Wednesday’s Senate hearing reflects the latest in a growing effort amongst gun control advocates to cast gun violence as a women’s issue.
To bolster support for the new gun control laws, Everytown for Gun Safety, a Michael Bloomberg-backed gun control advocacy group, unveiled a grisly ad depicting a female victim of domestic abuse. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords co-wrote an op-ed for CNN about the ties between gun laws and domestic violence entitled “Guns Killing Women: Time for Congress to Act.”
Making gun control into a domestic abuse and women’s issue is advantageous for gun control advocates, because Republicans have clashed with the NRA on gun policies for domestic abusers, calling for tighter restrictions.
The NRA urged senators not to sign the new gun control bill, maintaining that it “manipulates emotionally compelling issues such as ‘domestic violence’ and ‘stalking’ simply to cast as wide a net as possible for federal firearm prohibitions.” Others who have pushed back on the bill have posited that making it easier for women to have guns is a better solution to domestic violence than restricting gun access for domestic abusers.
