After years of denigrating LGBT people and mocking marriage equality, Fox Nation is suddenly expressing concern that new gun control legislation might discriminate against same-sex couples.
In an April 12 Daily Caller article, Mike Piccione criticized new gun control legislation that would prohibit the transfer of firearms between unwed partners without a background check, arguing that the measure “sharply limits rights of gay gun owners”:
Gay couples living in states that do not recognize their marriage will now be unable to transfer firearm ownership to their partners without undergoing a background check, should federal gun legislation recently proposed by Democratic Sen. Harry Reid become law.
According to the “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013,” which was introduced in the Senate this week, only couples in a government-sanctioned relationships will be allowed to privately transfer ownership of their firearms without first having to pass the federal background check.
[...]
Gay gun owners who want to transfer a gun to a partner, however, must first physically turn their guns in to an entity holding a federal firearms license so that a background check can be performed on the partner. The checks are conducted by the FBI's National Instant Background Check System.
Fox Nation promoted the article, asking “Does Democrats' Gun Bill Discriminate Against Gays?”:
While it appears to be true that, under the proposed legislation, same-sex couples would not be allowed to transfer gun ownership between spouses without a background check, it's hard to take Fox Nation's concern about LGBT equality seriously.
Fox Nation has a history of demonizing LGBT equality, including attacking President Obama for calling on the U.N. to protect victims of LGBT violence. It previously criticized an immigration judge for halting the deportation of a gay man who is married to an American citizen, and when Obama announced his support for marriage equality last May, Fox Nation warned, “OBAMA FLIP FLOPS, DECLARES WAR ON MARRIAGE.”
The Daily Caller's sudden support for LGBT equality seems no more sincere. The publication typically concerns itself with LGBT issues only when they can be used as an excuse to advocate for anti-gay causes and politicians. Earlier this month, the Daily Caller's Jim Treacher suggested that marriage equality might lead to fathers marrying their sons for tax purposes.