Two things happened in the last two weeks that every Pirate in California needs to know about. The federal government officially labeled pro-transgender advocacy as a counterterrorism priority, and the ATF proposed a rule change to Form 4473 that creates a legal trap designed to strip trans Americans of their Second Amendment rights.
These aren’t separate issues. This is a coordinated assault on civil liberties — and it’s exactly the kind of thing the Pirate Party exists to fight.
The White House Counterterrorism Strategy
On May 6, the White House published its 2026 United States Counterterrorism Strategy — a 16-page document that, for the first time in American history, names pro-transgender advocacy as a national security threat.
“Our counterterrorism activities will also prioritize the rapid identification of violent secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American, radically pro-transgender and anarchist.”
— 2026 U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy
Read that again. The President of the United States just put “pro-transgender” in the same sentence as terrorism. This isn’t a leaked memo or a think-tank wish list anymore — this is official executive branch policy.
This didn’t come out of nowhere. In September 2025, the Heritage Foundation urged the FBI to create a new designation for “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism.” In December 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi instructed the FBI to offer cash bounties for information on transgender activists. Now the White House has made it official counterterrorism doctrine.
For context: trans people make up less than 1% of mass shooters and are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.
The ATF’s Form 4473 Trap
One week after the counterterrorism strategy dropped, the ATF published a proposed rule that would require all ATF forms — not just Form 4473 for firearm purchases, but also NFA forms for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and explosives — to require “biological sex” defined as “immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The non-binary option is gone. And here’s the kicker: it’s under penalty of perjury. False statements on Form 4473 carry up to 5-10 years in federal prison.
This creates an impossible catch-22 for trans gun buyers:
- Write your birth sex? Your ID might not match, potentially flagging a denial.
- Write your lived identity? You’ve just committed perjury under the new definition.
- Don’t buy at all? That’s the point — disenfranchisement disguised as regulation.
The rule provides zero enforcement guidance. No instructions for dealers. No accommodation for intersex individuals. No clarity on what happens when your form doesn’t match your ID. As the Pink Pistols noted in their press release: the ATF itself added a non-binary option to Form 4473 in December 2019 — during Trump’s first term — and raised zero objections.
The legal basis? An executive order and a 1993 dictionary citation from a district court case. Conspicuously absent: any reference to Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), where the Supreme Court held that discrimination against transgender people is inherently sex-based discrimination.
Our Friends at Arm the Dolls
We want to highlight Arm the Dolls, an organization doing critical work providing clear, accessible information about firearm ownership and concealed carry for trans people across all 50 states. Their mission is simple: self-defense is an inherent right, and information about exercising that right should be available to everyone.
Their breakdown of the proposed 4473 rule is the most thorough and honest analysis we’ve seen. They read all 13 pages so you don’t have to — and they don’t sugarcoat the risks, including a remarkably candid assessment of whether you should submit a public comment (spoiler: it depends on your personal risk tolerance, and both choices are valid).
Follow them on Instagram for ongoing updates:
What the Pirate Party Stands For
The California Pirate Party’s platform is built on digital rights, privacy, government transparency, and civil liberties. These attacks hit every single one of those pillars:
- Privacy: The government is building databases of people based on gender identity. Public comments on the 4473 rule create federal records linking your name to trans advocacy. The counterterrorism strategy gives federal agencies a mandate to surveil “pro-transgender” groups.
- Civil Liberties: The Second Amendment doesn’t have an asterisk for trans people. Creating a perjury trap on a federal form to discourage a minority group from exercising a constitutional right is exactly the kind of bureaucratic overreach Pirates have always fought.
- Government Transparency: The ATF’s proposed rule provides zero enforcement guidance. No instructions for dealers, no accommodation for intersex people, no clarity on ID mismatches. This deliberate vagueness is a feature, not a bug — it’s designed to create fear and confusion.
- Digital Rights: Surveillance infrastructure built to target one group will inevitably be turned on others. Today it’s “pro-transgender.” Tomorrow it’s privacy advocates, encryption users, or anyone the government decides is “anti-American.”
What You Can Do
- Read the Arm the Dolls breakdown — their analysis of the proposed rule is essential reading. Understand what’s actually in the rule and what it means.
- Consider submitting a public comment — the comment period is open until August 4, 2026 via the Federal Register. Read ATD’s guidance on risks before deciding — both commenting and not commenting are valid choices.
- Follow Arm the Dolls — on their website and Instagram. They’re tracking this in real-time across all 50 states.
- Support organizations fighting back — the Pink Pistols and Operation Blazing Sword have both issued strong statements. Legal challenges are coming.
- Talk to your crew — share this with people who need to see it. Join us on Discord to stay connected.
Timeline: The public comment period closes August 4, 2026. The final rule is expected October-December 2026, with implementation likely late 2026 or early 2027. If you’ve been planning a firearm purchase, don’t wait.
The California Pirate Party stands with our trans crew members and with every American whose rights are under attack. An injury to one is an injury to all.
We keep us safe.
Two things happened in the last two weeks that every Pirate in California needs to know about. The federal government officially labeled pro-transgender advocacy as a counterterrorism priority, and the ATF proposed a rule change to Form 4473 that creates a legal trap designed to strip trans Americans of their Second Amendment rights.
These aren’t separate issues. This is a coordinated assault on civil liberties — and it’s exactly the kind of thing the Pirate Party exists to fight.
The White House Counterterrorism Strategy
On May 6, the White House published its 2026 United States Counterterrorism Strategy — a 16-page document that, for the first time in American history, names pro-transgender advocacy as a national security threat.
Read that again. The President of the United States just put “pro-transgender” in the same sentence as terrorism. This isn’t a leaked memo or a think-tank wish list anymore — this is official executive branch policy.
This didn’t come out of nowhere. In September 2025, the Heritage Foundation urged the FBI to create a new designation for “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism.” In December 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi instructed the FBI to offer cash bounties for information on transgender activists. Now the White House has made it official counterterrorism doctrine.
For context: trans people make up less than 1% of mass shooters and are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.
The ATF’s Form 4473 Trap
One week after the counterterrorism strategy dropped, the ATF published a proposed rule that would require all ATF forms — not just Form 4473 for firearm purchases, but also NFA forms for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and explosives — to require “biological sex” defined as “immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The non-binary option is gone. And here’s the kicker: it’s under penalty of perjury. False statements on Form 4473 carry up to 5-10 years in federal prison.
This creates an impossible catch-22 for trans gun buyers:
The rule provides zero enforcement guidance. No instructions for dealers. No accommodation for intersex individuals. No clarity on what happens when your form doesn’t match your ID. As the Pink Pistols noted in their press release: the ATF itself added a non-binary option to Form 4473 in December 2019 — during Trump’s first term — and raised zero objections.
The legal basis? An executive order and a 1993 dictionary citation from a district court case. Conspicuously absent: any reference to Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), where the Supreme Court held that discrimination against transgender people is inherently sex-based discrimination.
Our Friends at Arm the Dolls
We want to highlight Arm the Dolls, an organization doing critical work providing clear, accessible information about firearm ownership and concealed carry for trans people across all 50 states. Their mission is simple: self-defense is an inherent right, and information about exercising that right should be available to everyone.
Their breakdown of the proposed 4473 rule is the most thorough and honest analysis we’ve seen. They read all 13 pages so you don’t have to — and they don’t sugarcoat the risks, including a remarkably candid assessment of whether you should submit a public comment (spoiler: it depends on your personal risk tolerance, and both choices are valid).
Follow them on Instagram for ongoing updates:
What the Pirate Party Stands For
The California Pirate Party’s platform is built on digital rights, privacy, government transparency, and civil liberties. These attacks hit every single one of those pillars:
What You Can Do
Timeline: The public comment period closes August 4, 2026. The final rule is expected October-December 2026, with implementation likely late 2026 or early 2027. If you’ve been planning a firearm purchase, don’t wait.
The California Pirate Party stands with our trans crew members and with every American whose rights are under attack. An injury to one is an injury to all.
We keep us safe.