WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Trump’s reelection has Vermonters who swore they’d never own a gun shopping for protection.
These shoppers say they want to feel safe in a political atmosphere that’s made them feel anything but.
Bucky West of Bristol grew up in a home with guns – but never imagined he’d be the one wielding one.
Then Donald Trump was reelected.
“Being trans myself, I do feel I might have to protect myself in that way, which sucks because like I said, I didn’t really want to have to own one,” said West.
But now he’s shopping alongside dozens of other LGBTQ+ and marginalized Vermonters.
They found each other on the social media site Reddit and are planning a meetup to see what’s on the market.
“Just to see what we can do for each other and all,” said West.
Gun sale surges are common during contentious elections when people fear restricted access.
But these Vermonters buy out of fear of rising hate.
Experts say it happened in 2016 too, when minorities across the country armed themselves amidst Trump’s first presidency.
“Those trends are common. We’ve seen those at other points in US history, and we’re seeing them today,” said Conor Casey of Gun Sense Vermont.
West plans to visit Parro’s in Waterbury.
Unlike many gun shops around the state with trump flags in windows, Parro’s is noticeably neutral.
“We try to keep it neutral because both sides of the aisle if they want firearms, they should feel comfortable coming to Parro’s,” said Henry Parro.
Parro’s booked more gun trainings in the days after the election than the months leading up to it.
Many shoppers are first-timers aiming for peace of mind.
“People are picking up firearms for personal protection,” said Parro.
West and his friends hope they never have to protect themselves.
But being caught unprepared isn’t a risk they’re willing to take.
“It’s something I might have to think about even it’s not exactly what I wanna do,” said West.
Before buying a gun, experts say to train, learn about your local gun laws, practice regularly, and secure properly when not in use.