NRA Fashion Shows Now A Thing

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The stereotypical face of gun ownership in the United States has long been a white man, one who holds conservative political views and resides in a rural area. But that may be changing, according to an upcoming survey by public health researchers from Harvard and Northeastern universities.

The percentage of Americans who own guns decreased slightly between 1994 and 2015, dropping from 25 to 22 percent, and with it the proportion of male gun owners, the survey found. Forty-two percent of American men described themselves as gun owners in a 1994 study, compared to only 32 percent in 2015.

Meanwhile, the percentage of women who own guns has remained relatively stagnant since the 1980s, researchers said, with a slight increase from 9 to 12 percent over the past two decades. But while the numbers may not suggest, at first glance, that a significant change has taken place, when placed in the context of shrinking male ownership they point to a narrowing gender gap between men and women in the firearms-owning world – and a subsequent shift in gun culture.

Advertising by the gun industry may also play a role. The industry began to target women in the 1980s in an effort to both bring up sales and "help dissociate guns from violence," Professor Browder says. These ads typically feature "a woman walking alone through a dark empty parking lot," or a mother tucking her children into bed, who needs a gun to protect herself.

I think these fashion shows are designed to appeal to women.

Why the gender gap in gun ownership is shrinking - A recent survey shows that the gender gap between male and female gun owners is shrinking, a trend experts say has resulted in a shift in gun culture.